Saturday, April 08, 2006

Say What?!


This arived in my email box last night:

Greetings from Amazon.com and Toysrus.com. We have recently learned that Rose Art Industries Inc. is voluntarily recalling all Magnetix Magnetic Building Sets. It has been determined that the tiny magnets inside the plastic building pieces and rods can fall out. Magnets found by young children can be swallowed or aspirated. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract to each other and cause intestinal perforation or blockage, which can be fatal. Our records indicate that you have purchased a Magnetix Magnetic Building set through the co-branded Amazon.com / Toysrus.com web site and are therefore affected by this recall. At this time, Rose Art Industries Inc. asks consumers to stop using the magnetic sets and return the sets to Rose Art for a free replacement product suitable for young children under the age of six. Consumers should keep all small magnet parts out of the hands of children who mouth objects, especially children under the age of three. Rose Art can be contacted by calling (800) 779-7122 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or by visiting Rose Art's web site at www.roseart.com. You may find additional details about the recall in the CPSC bulletin at: CPSC News Bit... click here

I'm a bit baffled by the whole thing. First, you can STILL purchase Magnetix from Amazon.com. Check it out:

Click here to buy toys that will cause your children to choke and possibly aspirate.

Second, it's recommended for kids ages 8 and older. WHY would they send me a similar product suitable for children ages 6 and under?!?! My kids are 8.5 and 11. Obviously I am a responsible parent and wouldn't be buying my children toys that I didn't think were safe and suitable to their ages. I'm not about to send back their sets of Magnetix (and they have a few between the two of them) because I'm worried that they are going to choke. I would like to think that my children are smarter than that (although Mr. Man eats paper.. maybe I should worry).

I think it's great that Rose Art is taking charge here before this situation gets ugly. I just think it's a bit ridiculous to offer a replacement that isn't age suitable. Do I feel bad for the family's of the children who have been hurt? Yes I do. But 3.8 million units is a lot of recalling.

It says right here in the information from the recall:

Hazard: Tiny magnets inside the plastic building pieces and rods can fall out. Magnets found by young children can be swallowed or aspirated. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract to each other and cause intestinal perforation or blockage, which can be fatal. This product is unsuitable for young children.
Incidents/Injuries: CPSC is aware of 34 incidents involving small magnets, including one death and four serious injuries. A 20-month-old boy died after he swallowed magnets that twisted his small intestine and created a blockage. Three children ages ranging from 3 to 8 had intestinal perforations that required surgery and hospitalization in intensive care. A 5-year-old child aspirated two magnets that were surgically removed from his lung.
Common sense people. Common sense.

2 comments:

Julia said...

Hahahahahaha! Ya, I have been following this magnet story too...GEEZ. Dorks... I like your postings..nice FLOWER PIC too.. I enjoy your outlook on life..and YES I got that from my 4 minute tour of about 4 blog entries!!

Julia

ps - read ya later!

Anonymous said...

Okay, I know this sounds crazy but about 2 years ago, my youngest son who was then about 10, put these two magnetic things that remind me of magnetic pierced earrings (you know the front holds to the back by magnetic force ) on each nostril to make it look like he had his nose pierced (like mom). Everything was fine until he decided to pull both of the outside magnets off his nose at the same time. The two magnets that had been holding the outside magnets to his nostrils both shot up his nose (due to the strong magnetic force) and lodged at the bridge of his nose (INSIDE)!!! It was so NOT funny! Who'd have ever thought that the magnets would go UP instead of down and out of his nose??? Anyway, we ended up in the emergency room and the first ER doctor had no idea what to do. Fortunately, a second ER doc had seen something like this before (can you believe???) and told the first ER doc to hold my son still on the bed while he got a pointy spatula looking thing to pry the first magnet off. Once he got the first magnet loose, the second magnet came falling out by itself! It was one of the craziest things I'd ever seen in all my life, and stupid me, I thought the magnets were going to go up and lodge in his brain (yeah, my minor is in biology) so I was even more terrified than normal! Sheesh! I'd return the stupid toy 'cause you just never know and 'cause I'm just THAT paranoid!!! Oh, and get this... the little magnetic earring type things that my son put on his nose were given to him by our local PTA at school for winning a fund-raising contest!