The video above is from August 2021
Nearly 120,000 powerful magnetic ball toys sold on Amazon and other websites are being recalled because children could swallow them. The U.S. importer said some children who swallowed this product have needed surgery and it's just the latest case of children being injured after swallowing similar products.
The products are the DigiDots 3-millimeter and 5-millimeter magnetic balls, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said. They are "small, spherical, loose and separable neodymium rare-earth magnets with a strong magnetic flux."
The concern is that if two or more of the magnets are swallowed, they could stick together in the digestive system, potentially pinching, twisting or perforating the intestines. That can lead to infection, blood poisoning and, possibly, death.
Powerful magnets like these were once effectively banned by the CPSC. But a court overturned the ban in 2016. In the years since, injuries have skyrocketed.
HD Premier Inc. said it is aware of four children who swallowed DigiDots and needed surgery to remove them. CPSC said its also aware of other reports of children needing surgery, and two deaths, after swallowing similar magnetic products.
DigiDots were sold at ilovedigitdots.com, Amazon and other websites between March 2019 and January 2022.
The 3-millimeter magnets were sold in sets of 512 multi-colored magnetic balls. The 5-millimeter magnets were sold in sets of 222 silver magnetic balls or 224 multi-colored magnetic balls.
Anyone who has these are urged to take them away from children immediately. Contact HD Premier for a pre-paid label to return the DigiDots for a full refund. HD Premier can be contacted by email at recall@ilovedigitdots.com or on its recall page.
Lauren Leamanczyk of KARE contributed to this report.