Warning: Stop Using and Discard About 101,282 CHE-US Magnetic Stick Figure Toys; Loose Magnets Can Perforate Children's Intestines if Swallowed
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a product safety warning on October 29 urging consumers to stop using CHE-US Magnetic Stick Figure toys immediately and dispose of them, rather than selling or giving them away. About 101,282 of the toys are involved.
The warned toys are robot-shaped magnetic stick figures sold in sets of five or 10 in purple, blue, yellow, red and green. Each figure has a small magnet embedded in each hand and foot. The code 'X004N3MGCB' is printed on the back of the packaging. The toys were sold on Amazon.com for about $9 by Guangzhou Shian Trading Co., Ltd., of China, doing business as CHE-US/CHESLICR.
According to the warning, the figures violate the mandatory safety standard for toys: when the figures are pulled apart, the magnets in their arms and legs can be released. The magnets are stronger than the standard allows and small enough for a child to swallow.
If high-powered magnets are swallowed, they can attract each other, or another metal object, through intestinal walls and become lodged in the digestive system, causing perforations, twisting or blockage of the intestines, blood poisoning and death.
The CPSC issued a Notice of Violation to the seller, but CHE-US/CHESLICR has not agreed to an acceptable recall or remedy for consumers, so the Commission issued the warning directly. No incidents had been reported as of the warning.
The agency reminds households to check any toy built around small loose magnets for pieces that have come loose, to take such toys away from children, and to seek immediate medical care if a child may have swallowed a magnet.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 高强度磁力球玩具（资料图）。CC0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / High-powered magnetic ball toys (file photo). CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
