The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereCPSC·08223·Announced 2008-03-17

MEGA Brands Recalls Pre-School Magnetic Toys Due to Swallowing Hazards

MEGA Brands is recalling Magtastik and Magnetix Jr. magnetic toys because small magnets can detach and be swallowed by young children, posing serious health risks.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a significant injury report (medical treatment for a child) and a hazard explicitly described as potentially fatal (intestinal perforations), meeting the criteria for a Severe rating.

Plain-English summary

MEGA Brands America Inc. is recalling approximately 1.1 million Magtastik and Magnetix Jr. Pre-school Magnetic Toys. These toys feature small flexible parts embedded with magnets that allow them to connect to large, colored metal balls. The recall covers various sets, including the Magtastik Starter Set, 40 Piece Tub, and Magnimals assortments, with model numbers printed on the front of the packaging.

The recall was issued because the magnets in the small flexible parts can detach. If young children find these loose magnets, they may swallow or aspirate them. Swallowing more than one magnet can cause the magnets to attract each other, leading to intestinal perforations or blockages, which can be fatal. MEGA Brands and the CPSC have received 19 reports of magnets coming loose, including one instance where a 3-year-old boy required 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 that was not swallowed.

The toys were sold at Wal-Mart, Target, Toys R Us, K-Mart, and other toy stores nationwide from January 2005 through December 2007 for between $10 and $40. Consumers should stop using the recalled toys immediately and return them to MEGA Brands for a free replacement toy. For more information, consumers can contact MEGA Brands at (800) 779-7122 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit www.megabrands.com.

The recalled product

Product
Magtastik and Magnetix Jr. Pre-school Magnetic Toys
Category
Consumer Product — Toys
Hazard

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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