Magnetix

Designed to be a cheaper version of the Geomag magnetic construction set, Magnetix's image suffered severely when an early manufacturing defect caused a death.

[1] On March 31, 2006, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) ordered a recall of all Magnetix brand magnetic building sets.

The official CPSC recall notice[2] was issued after the death of a small child and four serious injuries requiring surgery.

If a child swallows more than one tiny powerful magnet detached from the plastic building pieces or one such magnet and a metallic object, the objects can attract to each other inside the intestines and cause perforations and/or blockage, which can be fatal, if not treated immediately."

A pediatric gastroenterologist, Dr. Marsha Kay[6] of the Cleveland Clinic, was one of the first to publish an article on steps to take if a child is suspected of swallowing a magnet.