Information and Resources

Product Recall: Polly Pocket Dolls

Nov. 21, 2006 -- Toy maker Mattel Inc. today joined the Consumer Safety Product Commission in recalling some of its Mattel Polly Pocket dolls and accessories with magnets.

The recall follows the hospitalization of three young children who reportedly swallowed more than one magnet from the recalled toys, creating holes in their intestines that required surgery.

"Tiny magnets inside the dolls and accessories can fall out undetected by parents and caregivers," says a news release from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

"Consumers should immediately take these recalled toys away from children and contact Mattel to arrange for the return of the sets and to receive a voucher for a replacement toy of the customer's choice, up to the value of the returned product," says CPSC.

The voluntary recall doesn't include Polly Pocket products currently on store shelves.

The recalled products were sold in discount department stores and toy stores from May 2003 through September 2006 and cost $15 to $30 dollars, according to the CPSC.

Today's recall involves about 2.4 million play sets sold in the U.S. and another 2 million sold worldwide, according to the CPSC.

Recalled Items

Here is a list of the recalled items:

• Polly Pocket! Polly Place Hangin' Out House (Model B2632)
• Polly Pocket! Polly Place Treetop Clubhouse (Model B3158)
• Polly Pocket! Spa Day (Model B3201)
• Polly Totally! Polly Place Totally Tiki Diner (Model B7118)
• Polly Pocket! Quik-Clik Boutique (Model G8605)
• Polly Pocket! Quik-Clik City Pretty Playset (Model H1537)
• Polly Pocket! Quik-Clik Sporty Style Playset (Model H1538)
• Polly Pocket! Totally Zen Playset (Model H3211)

The model number is printed on the bottom of the largest pieces of some of the play sets.

If you can't find the model number, contact Mattel at 888-597-6597, or visit the company's web site at www.service.mattel.com, says the CPSC.

Magnet Problem

The magnets are one-eighth of an inch in diameter and are found in the hands and feet of some plastic Polly Pocket dolls, as well as in the plastic clothing, hair pieces, and other accessories that attach to the doll or doll's house.

"The magnets can be swallowed, aspirated [inhaled] by young children, or placed by a child in their nose or ears," states the CPSC.

"When more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestinal perforation [holes], infection, or blockage, which can be fatal," the commission says.

If the magnets get into the lungs, immediate surgery is required.

Magnets placed in the nose or ears can cause swelling and be difficult to remove, states the CPSC.

CPSC says it's aware of 170 reports of the small magnets coming out of the toys.