Toddler Dies After Freak Accident Involving Toy

[Kaymara]

My dad sent me this...In case anyone has these toys. Might wanna be cautious!

Toddler Dies After Freak Accident Involving Toy December 20, 2005 By Michelle Esteban Two-year-old Kenny Sweet ingested some loose magnets from Magnetix toys, which became attached in his intestines and eventually killed him. REDMOND - A freak accident involving a popular toy has killed a 2-year-old boy. And now, Kenny Sweet's parents hope that other parents can learn from their tragedy. It was Thanksgiving Day when Kenny was rushed to Kirkland's Evergreen Medical Center emergency room with what his mom thought was the stomach flu. But five minutes later, Kenny had died. "I heard 'code blue' and I was hysterical at that point," Penny Sweet said. "I thought maybe if we all could pray at the same time that we could pull him out, but no amount of prayers or people could save him at that point." The King County Medical Examiner's report blames his death on a toy. The autopsy found tiny magnets -- smaller than the eraser on a pencil -- in Kenny's intestine. The magnets were encased in plastic building blocks toys that Penny's 10-year-old son had been playing with. Penny says some of the magnets fell out, and Kenny apparently found them in the carpet and swallowed them. "It's very dangerous. Who can police this?" asks Kenny's mother. Doctors found the magnets in Kenny's small intestine -- one at the top and one at the bottom. The magnetic force was so great it connected both ends, twisting his intestine and forcing deadly bacteria into his blood stream. "It does say there is a choking hazard on here," Penny Sweet said. "Unfortunately, they don't say it causes serious injury or death, which is the kind warning they need to have on here." Dr. Tony Woodward, Children's Hospital Chief of Emergency Medicine, is not connected with Kenny's case, but he explained what happens when the intestine is twisted: "As it twists farther, you lose blood supply to the intestine. Once you lose blood supply, then it starts to die." Mega Bloks, based in Montreal, manufactures the toy. It's one in a series called Magnetix. A spokesperson for the company said that in nearly 70 years in the toy business, this is the first death resulting from one of their toys. The spokesman said the Magnetix toys are still on the shelf, but Mega Bloks is investigating. With Christmas just days away the Sweets didn't want to wait for the company's findings, they want to warn other parents immediately. Mega Bloks reported Kenny Sweet's death to The Consumer Product Safety Commission. The commission confirmed for KOMO 4 News it does have an "open investigation." Mega Bloks says it's up to the commission to decide if the toy should be pulled off toy shelves. In October, Toy Wishes, a self-described family entertainment guide, named the Magnetix as one of the top 12 toys for Christmas this year

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[Becca]

This is a horribly horribly sad accident. But one thing that caught my attention was this quote from the mother:

"It does say there is a choking hazard on here," Penny Sweet said. "Unfortunately, they don't say it causes serious injury or death, which is the kind warning they need to have on here."

Does she think that choking doesn't cause serious injury or death? Sounds like she's just prepping herself for a lawsuit. I can't imagine going through that though, rushing my baby to the hospital and then hearing "code blue" OMG it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.

[Kaymara]

I think her point is that he didn't choke and it still caused death. So maybe she is trying to get them to put that in addition to the choking. He swalloed them no problem apparently. It was after they were ingested that all the probs started by the magnets closing off his intestine..

[Becca]

I see your point. I still can't begin to imagine having to live through something like that.

[ash]

that is so incredibly sad

[Brialee]

That's crazy! I feel soo bad for her. You wouldn't think that those little magnets would have that much power.

[April]

My son (10 year old) has thousands of them and LOVES them. Josh even loves playing with them. The tiny magnents do fall out occasionally. I feel terrible sadness for a mother to lose a child. Additionally, it is becoming rediculous to put "this toy causes death" on every freakin toy. You know those "snakes" at 4th of July, the ones you light and they grow. Well they stopped selling those for years because some kid ate one and died. Now come on parents, watch your kids and teach them not to put things in their mouth. I think the disclaimer needs to be stamped across their head and cover everything known to man.

[Sarah]

I saw this on the news last night . It was very sad.

[Kaymara]

Originally Posted by April Now come on parents, watch your kids and teach them not to put things in their mouth. I think the disclaimer needs to be stamped across their head and cover everything known to man.

Toddlers put EVERYTHING into their mouths. How can you watch 24/7. It happens. I thin EVERY parent has expierenced their little one having something in their mouth without them realizing it. Heck I vaccuum every single day and still Ethan finds and puts stuff in his mouth. Do I teach him no? Yep you bet. But he doesn't fully understand that yet and thats how babies and toddlers explore their world.

If you are gonna put a warning on a toy in the first place then it should be an accurate one. Choking obviously isnt the only hazard. And I dunno about you, but I do take the warnings and age groups etc into consideration before purchasing a toy for Ethan. If it says it has small parts I don't buy it. So the warnings do help with some things.

[April]

Yes but this child was 2. By then, they should have a good understanding of what is acceptable to put in their mouth and what is not if the parents had been doing a decent job of teaching them. Anything can cause death if used inproperly, that should be a given.