Tink sent me THIS LINK about a different issue with the Magnetix set. Why? Because I have it.
Penny Sweet's 2-year-old son, Kenny, died Thanksgiving Day after swallowing tiny magnets from the toy — but he didn't choke.
... An autopsy found two tiny magnets stuck in Kenny's small intestine. Doctors say the magnets were so strong that they joined two ends of his small intestine, pinching it shut. As a result, bacteria were forced into his bloodstream — killing him.
...the toy's manufacturer points out that Magnetix has passed all federal safety requirements and that the box features prominent small part hazard warnings.
And it does have warnings. I did NOT let my kids play with it unsupervised. I have now put it up until they get older. Trust me, Magnetix is a lot of fun and has been around for a very long time. I will let my kids play with it when they get older (I won't lose it because I love playing with it). But I just don't want to take the chance with Tot around. He is a kid who loves to eat things. And it doesn't matter if it comes apart or not... if he ate two of the magnet sticks, it would do the same thing.
I smell a lottery lawsuit entry...
Posted by: Ogre at March 23, 2006 07:30 AMI used to eat screws. Call me strange. My mom hated taking me to the hardware store!
Posted by: Rave at March 23, 2006 10:00 AMThose look cool. I've never seen them before. You can store them at my house until the boys get older.
Posted by: Sticks at March 23, 2006 05:28 PMOh that's SCARY! WE ahve magnetix here too - they are really fun, but I would have never thought of that particular hazzard... No little kids are going to get to play with them here either!
Posted by: Richmond at March 24, 2006 02:13 PMWow, that sounds like an urban legend. So I researched it and it's real. Wow. My nephews have those but they never use them unsupervised. Just another reason to watch the kids closely.
Posted by: Jody Halsted at March 27, 2006 09:14 AM