US toy giant Mattel recalls 18 million China-made toys

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Parents and care-givers began weeding out toys from children's play chests after US toy giant Mattel recalled 18 million Chinese-made products worldwide, citing serious concerns for children's safety.

Toys including the mythical Barbie doll, Batman action figures and Polly Pocket play sets were taken off store shelves as Mattel vastly expanded an earlier recall, sparked when three children suffered perforated intestines after swallowing magnets that had fallen out of the playthings.

The recall also targeted the toy jeep "Sarge," from the hit animated film "Cars," which had been painted by a Chinese company with a lead-based product.
More than 7.3 million of the toys affected were Polly Pocket play sets, because of concerns that children could swallow small magnets if they became dislodged.

The recall is the second in nine months to target the Polly Pocket range, and the second in as many weeks that hit Mattel products.

In November last year, 4.4 million Polly Pocket play sets were recalled after Mattel received nearly 200 reports of magnets becoming dislodged and three reports of children having to undergo surgery for damaged intestines after swallowing the tiny magnets.

Ingested magnets can become stuck together and cause intestinal perforation, infection or blockage, which can be fatal.