Product Sold in Indiana Recalled Following Choking Injuries and Deaths
More times than not, a product is recalled due to the "possibility" of getting sick or injured, and it is usually a very small number of people who have been affected. You know a recall is serious, though, when the product has caused thousands of hospitalizations and even a handful of deaths. That is exactly what has happened with this product.
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The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall in late December 2023 of the Relax 5mm Science Kit, Large Hematite Magnets Magnetic Stones Building Blocks, sold exclusively at Walmart.com from February 2022 through April 2023.
In case it wasn't obvious enough, the CPSC gives the official reason for the recall...
The recalled 5mm magnetic ball sets do not comply with the requirements of the mandatory federal magnet regulation because the sets contain one or more magnets that fit within CPSC’s small parts cylinder, and the magnets are stronger than permitted.
The magnets are an obvious choking hazard in the hands of unsuspecting children, but the CPSC says they pose an even bigger threat than that...
When high-powered magnets are swallowed, the ingested magnets can attract each other, or another metal object, and become lodged in the digestive system. This can result in perforations, twisting and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning, and death.
The CPSC estimates 2,400 magnet ingestions were treated in hospital emergency departments from 2017 through 2021. The CPSC is also aware of seven deaths involving the ingestion of hazardous magnets, including two outside of the United States.
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Gallery Credit: Ryan O'Bryan
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