Toys R Us Recalls High-Powered Magnet Sets Due to Ingestion Hazards

Hazard

When two or more magnets are swallowed, they can link together inside a child's intestines and clamp onto body tissues, causing intestinal obstructions, perforations, sepsis and death. Internal injury from magnets can pose serious lifelong health effects.

Remedy

Consumers should stop using the recalled high-powered magnet sets immediately, take all associated individual magnets away from children and teenagers and contact Toys R Us as listed above for a full refund. Toys R Us will contact each purchasing customer directly to coordinate the recall. Returns of the magnet sets will not be accepted in stores.

Refund

Incidents & injuries

Toys R Us has received no reports of injuries. CPSC has received 54 reports of incidents involving children ingesting high-powered magnets resulting in 53 reports of medical intervention.

Product description

This recall involves high-powered magnets sets with the brand name Buckyballs. The sets contain 216 silver-colored, spherical rare earth magnets, each about five millimeters in diameter.

Sold on

ToysRUs.com and retailers nationwide from November 2010 through July 2012 for about $40.

Contact the company

Toys R Us, at (800) 869-7787 from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET on Sundays, or online at www.toysrus.com, then click on About Us, then select "Safety" at the top of the page, and then "Click here" under Product Recalls.