2.4 Million Toys Recalled Due to Choking and Intestinal Hazards From Magnets
Posted by
Jenny AlbanoMarch 18, 2008 7:49 PMMEGA Brands America Inc., in conjunction with the CPSC, is recalling around 2.4 million toys because small magnets can fall out of the toys, which poses a choking hazard to infants and young children.
The company is recalling around .1 million Magtastik and Magnetix Jr. preschool toys and 1.3 million MagnaMan magnetic action figures. The magnets in the toys can detach and can be swallowed by young children. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestinal perforations or blockages, which can be fatal.
MEGA Brands and CPSC have received 19 reports of magnets coming loose in the Magtastik toys, which included one incident of a 3-year-old boy having medical treatment to remove a magnet from his nasal cavity and one report of an 18-month-old boy with a magnet in his mouth, which was not swallowed. Also, there have been 25 reports of magnets coming loose from the MagnaMan figures but there have been no injuries.
The Magtastik and Magnetix Jr. Pre-school Magnetic Toys include small flexible parts embedded with magnets that allow the parts to connect to large, colored metal balls. The recalled MagnaMan magnetic toys are figures that have body parts that attach with magnets. They come in either a "Futuristic Warrior" or "Ancient Warrior" theme. Each figure comes with three accessories.
For a list of the recalled Magtastik and Magnetix Jr. Pre-School Magnetic Toys modelsclick here.
For a list of the recalled MagnaMan Magnetic Action Figures models click here.
The toys were sold between January 2005 and December 2007 at toy stores throughout the nation, including Wal-Mart, Target, Toys R' Us and Kmart.
Even though there have not been any injuries, there have been 44 complaints over the past two years about the loose magnets. These complaints prompted the recall.