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More than four million Polly Pocket toys worldwide have been recalled this month after three young children suffered serious injuries from swallowing the small magnets that fell off the play sets, announced the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The commission claimed they had gotten 170 reports that the tiny magnets were falling off the defective Polly Pocket dolls and accessories. The three kids who were injured and hospitalized swallowed more than a single magnet and suffered from intestinal perforation, requiring surgical treatment.
Currently, the toy manufacturer Mattel, Inc. is in the process of making “appropriate revisions to the U.S. toy standard to prevent such issues in the future,” according to the vice president of communications, Sara Rosales.
Magnet Dangers
The Polly Pocket set consists of dolls that have 1/8 inch round magnets embedded in their hands and feet. The accessories included in the play set such as hair pieces and plastic clothing also contain small magnets, which can easily fall out and be inhaled or swallowed by children.
In the event that more than one tiny magnet is inhaled, they may attach in the stomach causing potentially fatal injuries such as intestinal perforation, blockage, or infection.
Almost two and a half million Polly Pocket sets manufactured before April 2005 and sold in the U.S. between May 2003 and September 2006 are being recalled. Another two million toys sold worldwide are also affected by the recall.
In March, another magnet-containing toy, Mega Brands, Inc.''s Magnetix building sets was recalled when one child died and several others were seriously injured after swallowing the small magnets.
Last year in the United States, there were 20 toy deaths and 152,400 injuries involving kids younger than 15.
Consumer Warnings
As Christmas approaches, consumers are urged to avoid buying young children any toy sets that contain small magnets and other small parts or sharp edges. All labels should also be checked for age appropriateness.
All Polly Pocket toy sets purchased between May 2003 and September 2006 should be taken away from children and returned to the manufacturer.
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