Following seven fatalities from ingestion of the Chinese vendor Doraemon’s magnetic ball sets due to their loose, dangerous magnets, the U.S. Consumer Protection Unit issued a warning on Thursday urging consumers to cease using the products.
The Doraemon Dovfun Suit Magnetic Ball Sets were found to include one or more magnets that were stronger and smaller than those allowed by federal toy regulations, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
The toys, which came in sets within a transportable tin storage box with a clear plastic casing, were offered for sale online at Amazon.com for roughly $25.
An estimated 2,400 magnet ingestions were handled in hospital emergency rooms between 2017 and 2021, according to the CPSC. Seven deaths have also come to its attention, two of which occurred outside of the US.
“When high-powered magnets are swallowed, the ingested magnets can attract each other or another metal object and become lodged in the digestive system,” the CPSC stated in a statement.
The regulatory body stated that although Doraemon received a notice of violation, the vendor has not consented to a recall of these magnetic ball sets or to provide customers with a remedy.
A comment from the seller could not be obtained.
