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Toy jewelry recalled after child's death

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 8:59 am
by alicia-w
Reebok charm bracelet and Dollar Tree line of kids' jewelry recalled by manufacturers for lead poisoning risk.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Two companies recalled nearly 900,000 pieces of children's jewelry products due to lead poisoning risks, following the death of a Minnesota child, U.S. regulators said Thursday.

The recall involves 300,000 Reebok Heart-Shaped Charm Bracelets, which was provided as a free gift with a purchase of various styles of children's footwear at major shoe stores nationwide from May 2004 through March 2006, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said. Reebok received a report of a 4-year-old child in Minneapolis dying from lead poisoning after swallowing a piece of the bracelet, according to the CPSC.


Dollar Tree's recalled toy jewelry

Also recalled were 580,000 toy jewelry products sold by the Dollar Tree retail chain, including the Mood Necklace and Ring, Glow-in-the Dark Necklace and Ring as well as the UV Necklace and Ring. The products were sold at Dollar Tree, Dollar Express, Greenback and Only $1 stores nationwide from September 2003 through February 2006.

Dollar has received no reports of incidents or injuries, the CPSC said.

The companies decided to pull the products after learning that the items contained high levels of lead and posed a risk of lead poisoning, the CPSC said.

The CSPC recommends consumers immediately take the bracelet and jewelry away from their children. Those who purchased the Dollar Tree are urged to return the jewelry to the store where they purchased the item for a refund, while the CSPC says the entire Reebok bracelet should be disposed of immediately.

For more information about the recalled products, consumers can visit either company's Web site.





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http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/23/news/companies/recalls/index.htm?cnn=yes

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 2:08 pm
by O Town
Woah! Too freaky. That is something I would have never thought about. If my kid swollowed something and did not choke on it I would just wait for it to come out the other end, unless of course if it was something sharp. I would have never thought about lead poisoning. Thanks for the heads up, my parents take the kids to dollar tree every other weekend, and they love mood jewelry. Thank goodness none has come home that I know about.

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 4:12 pm
by pojo
Watch out for the Magnetic toys... I think they are called Magnetix. A child died from swallowing a magnetic ball and died.

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 4:14 pm
by alicia-w
yikes, what caused that? did the child choke to death or was there some toxin involved...

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 4:26 pm
by gtalum
I have to say I'm skeptical of this story. Lead poisoning doesn't just happen from a onetime exposure to lead. It usually happens over a long period of time from long term constant exposure to lead dust in air, water, or food. A solid chunk of lead wouldn't have nearly the same effct as small lead particles. And further, you don't just die of lead poisoning with no warning. It causes a slow degradation of health and mental faculties.