U.S. Safety Commission Warns of Fatal Risks from Small Toy Magnets

Seven deaths and 2,400 hospital visits linked to ingestion of high-powered magnets; XpressGoods recalls product, five other companies refuse.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a warning about the dangers of small, high-powered magnets found in toys, following seven deaths linked to their ingestion.
The magnets, made from rare-earth metals and measuring five millimeters, are stronger than permitted by federal toy regulations and pose a risk if two or more are swallowed, as they can attract each other in the stomach, leading to intestinal perforation, twisting, blocking, infection, and blood poisoning.
XpressGoods, a North Carolina company, has recalled its Neodymium Magnetic Balls sold from July 2021 through May 2022, offering full refunds and directly contacting purchasers of the roughly 700 units it had sold.
Five other companies that also sold the magnetic balls have refused to do recalls, prompting the commission to alert consumers directly.
The commission has not disclosed who manufactures the balls.