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On August 14, 2007, 7.3 million Mattel, Inc. Polly Pocket dolls and accessories were cleared off the shelves of American toy stores. The toys contained small magnets that, when played with, could dislodge from their product and be swallowed or aspirated. If two or more of these magnets attracted themselves and clumped together in the intestines, they could potentially cause tearing and blocking of the walls of the intestine. Several children in the U.S. suffered injuries from this product, and at least three were hospitalized with "intestinal perforations". One child remained hospitalized for seven days, another for twelve. On January 23, 2008, Battat, Inc. of New Jersey instituted a recall of a magnetic play set, because it too, contained small magnets with the potential to be swallowed or aspirated. Both the Polly Pocket dolls and the magnetic play sets were manufactured in the People's Republic of China ("China") and imported to the U.S.
Recommended Citation
Julia A. Phillips, Does "Made in China" Translate to "Watch Out" For Consumers? The U.S. Congressional Response to Consumer Product Safety Concerns, 27 Penn St. Int'l L. Rev. 217 (2008).
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