To prevent children from accidentally ingesting small magnets in desk toys sold to adults, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has filed a lawsuit calling for a ban on the sale of Buckyballs and Buckycubes.
The lawsuit against Maxfield and Oberton Holdings LLC is the latest step by the CPSC to prevent injuries that continue despite product warnings. CPSC seeks to order the firm to stop selling the product, notify the public of a defect and offer a refund to consumers.
Since Buckyballs were introduced in the United States in 2009, the CPSC has received reports of more than two dozen incidents in which children have ingested two or more of the high-powered magnets. Harmful effects include damage to bowels and severe infections when the ingested magnets attract from different parts of the body. Many victims are young children, but teens also have accidentally swallowed two or more magnets placed on the tongue to mimic a tongue piercing.
For more information, visit http://aapnews.aappublications.org/content/33/6/4.full.
