Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Concerned over the safety of Geomag

41 replies

XmastimePelvicfloorsandWine · 23/12/2007 21:26

A friend of mine asked me sometime ago what dd1 would like for Christmas and i told her she liked Geomag and that is what she has got for her.

Last week i read an aricle about an American boy who died because he swallowed he magnets from Magnetix.
I have since read other articles questioning the safety of Magnetix and i am thinking that the principles of Geomag are the same.

dd1 is 6 which is the recommended age but dd2 is 23 months and i am concerned for her safety tbh.

Am i being over cautious?

OP posts:

FrannyandZooey · 23/12/2007 22:03

Fox the Geomag ones are long and it says they can't come loose from the plastic

they are like rods, you would have to work hard to swallow one IMO

Furball · 23/12/2007 22:03

this statement is on the magnetix website

Children enjoy building, playing, and learning with Magnetix toys. However, younger children, especially those under the age of three should not use them, nor should they be used with children who mouth objects. If you have purchased this product for a younger child and are uncomfortable having this product in your home because of younger children, we will replace it with a toy suitable for your child?s age.

purpleduck · 23/12/2007 22:21

I was shocked by the program - i'm also now a bit uncomfortable with dd's magnetic earrings.

yurt1 · 23/12/2007 23:00

ds1 has some, but they're kept away from ds3. The only toy I've ever been funny about. We keep them in tupperware type containers to make them harder to get at as well.

stripeymama · 23/12/2007 23:10

Think the point is that in Magnetix the little ball bits are magnetic but in Geomag they are not.

I think...

twentypence · 24/12/2007 01:41

Re the drawing thing - why can't younger sister draw in her high chair, then she won't draw on walls - or get her those crayola things that only colour the special paper.

I've got to say that ds is the ideal child for Geomag - he has never mouthed anything. He didn't even put food in his own mouth until he was well over a year old.

MegBusset · 24/12/2007 08:23

Yes, in Magnetix the balls and rods are the issue.

In Geomag it's only the rods. However, at least one case in the TV prog was of a kid who'd swallowed several whole rods. Here is their statement about safety.

F&Z that link is several pages long, but I didn't need to register to read it...

Polgara2 · 24/12/2007 08:37

Megbusset - what was the story title? I think if you follow your link it asks you to register but if you search yourself it doesn't.

OhGiveUsAPruniPudding · 24/12/2007 08:43

I can understand people being wary but there has to be a limit to worrying about whether or not your child will randomly swallow a handful (!) of magnets.
Incidentally this information was in a published paper about three years ago, so Dispatches is a bit behind the times.

MegBusset · 24/12/2007 09:07

If you Google "Toy magnets kill young boy" you will get th Chicago Tribune story.

Of course, you can worry too much and you might decide that the risk is very small. But not one personally I would fancy taking.

Aitch · 24/12/2007 11:33

i think there is a limit, Pruni, but you don't want them floating around when their are teeny kids in the house. as i say, my doctor pal in Glasgow has seen damage they do, so i don't think it's as rare as hens' teeth.

ChopsterRoastingOnAnOpenFire · 24/12/2007 11:40

my older two (7 and 5) have toys that I don't want near the dts. Our solution is a big dog gate on their bedroom door so they can play in there in peace with whatever they want. They love having their own toddler free space and it means they don't always need to be supervised when they want to get things out that might be harmful for the twins.

Jed180 · 08/01/2008 18:33

I've just watched this episode of Dispatches on catch up TV and am horrified about the damage that Magnetix can do. We have lots of Magnetix which was bought 2 or 3 years ago and the magnets have always fallen out, even when new.

I am a childminder and look after kids from ages 3-8 years old and have decided to throw the stuff in the bin. I wouldn't give it away to a Charity Shop now as I wouldn't like to think that some other unsuspecting parent would buy it for their child and it could be a dreadful accident waiting to happen!

Smithagain · 10/01/2008 13:31

DD1 has Magnetix and we also have very small, powerful magnets holding things to our fridge.

I'm taking the view that the Magnetix is something that has to be got out, played with at the table and put away. DD2 is under three but hasn't mouthed anything for months. But I'm still not letting her play with it.

The fridge magnets are out of DD2's reach and DD1 has had the risk explained to her. I think these are reasonable precautions, but I am not going to ban magnets from the house. They are jolly useful, educational things. And nasty accidents happen with all sorts of things.

Scramble · 10/01/2008 13:37

I would treat it like any other toy or activity that could cause a hazard to younger children.

Store it out of reach and play is supervised.

Children warned if they swallow anybits of any toy they must say so straight away and not to worry about getting a row.

Plenty other things younger children shouldn't get a hold of.

Childminders might feel it is still to much of a risk or contentious issue with parents and just not bother with it.

Plenty of hazrads in the home you just have to assess how big a risk they pose and how to reduce that risk.

iheartdusty · 10/01/2008 20:11

as I understand it some of the older children were just holding bits in their mouth, eg while their hands were busy, and accidentally swallowed. I think that was little magnets off Polly Pocket and the like, rather than rods.

Flip

1 2