Toddler’s Death Prompts Recall of 3.8 Million Magnetic Building Sets

Child’s death, four serious injuries to children result in nationwide recall of Magnetix magnetic building sets.

3.8 million magnetic building sets have been recalled in the U.S. after 34 children became ill - including the death of a 20-month old toddler, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said today.
The magnetic building sets, sold from September 2003 through March 2006 at Wal-Mart, Target, Toys R Us, Fred Meyer, Design Science Toys Ltd., A.C. Moore, and other toy and arts and crafts stores nationwide, have tiny magnets inside plastic building pieces. ‘The rods inside these pieces can fall out,’ the CPSC said. ‘Magnets found by young children can be swallowed or aspirated. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract to each other and cause intestinal perforation or blockage, which can be fatal.’

A 20-month-old boy died after he swallowed magnets that twisted his small intestine and created a blockage, the CPSC said. Three children ages ranging from 3 to 8 had intestinal perforations that required surgery and hospitalization in intensive care and a 5-year-old child aspirated two magnets that were surgically removed from his lung, the CPSC said. 34 incidents have been reported involving the small magnets. All Magnetix magnetic building sets including the X-treme Combo, Micro, and Extreme sets are included in the recall, the CPSC said. The sets contain 20 to 200 plastic building pieces and 20 to 100 1/2-inch diameter steel balls. The building pieces are red, yellow, blue and green, and are shaped in 1 1/2-inch squares, 1-inch triangles and cylinder rods. Some plastic building pieces have “Magnetix” imprinted on them.

‘This product is unsuitable for young children,’ the CPSC said. ‘Consumers should stop using the magnetic sets and return the sets to Rose Art for a free replacement product suitable for young children under the age of 6. Consumers should be sure to keep all small magnet parts out of the hands of children who mouth objects, especially children under the age of three.’

For additional information, the CPSC suggests contacting Rose Art at (800) 779-7122 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or on their website www.roseart.com.