Recall or no, Polly stays in my pocket

Published 9:00 pm Thursday, February 15, 2007

There will be no official attempt to take away my Polly Pocket dolls. I was prepared to barricade behind a Lincoln Log fort if the feds came to confiscate my beloved tiny dolls.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Mattel Inc. is voluntarily recalling about 2.4 million Polly Pocket dolls with magnets. Sara Rosales, vice president of communications with Mattel Brands, said giving back the dolls is up to each consumer.

Tiny magnets inside the dolls, clothes and dollhouse accessories can fall out.

A child can swallow them or stick them up their nose or in their ears. The commission received 170 reports about small magnets falling from Polly Pocket dolls.

Three children each swallowed more than one magnet and suffered intestinal perforation that required surgery.

When more than one magnet is swallowed, they can attract each other and cause internal injuries, which can be fatal. Magnets placed in the nose or ears can cause swelling and be difficult to remove.

When I was a kid, I put a pretty white pearl from a toy necklace inside my ear. I wanted to wear earrings like the Lennon Sisters.

So I was a dork.

When the pearl disappeared, Mother hauled me to the doctor, who flushed it out from inside my ear canal. Mom didn’t yell at me or anything.

As a grandmother, I supervise play with Polly Pocket dolls. Kelbi, 2, can use her tiny, fumbling fingers to successfully stick the teeny dolls and furnishings in the metal dollhouse.

It gives her a sense of accomplishment and improves eye-hand coordination.

At Christmas, Kelbi received the Polly Pocket pool, which I ordered before the recall. Polly has several swimming suits that snap on and off magnetically.

Last year, my son Brody called me early one morning about a safety commission recall of Magnetix Magnetic Building Sets.

He was worried about his niece using a set of magnetic building pieces I kept on my coffee table. I moved the magnets to a top shelf.

Tragically, a 22-month-old Redmond boy died after he swallowed Magnetix that twisted inside his small intestine and created a blockage.

Rosales said the problem with Pollys is that the magnets are especially strong. She said she was not allowed to say how many of the 2.4 million toys have been returned, citing a safety commission policy.

Mattel has a worldwide quality assurance department that is responsible for every step of product development.

“Toys are thoroughly reviewed and thoroughly tested,” Rosales said. “It was not the small parts as much as it was the new industry issue of magnets.”

My home will never be free of magnets. In a bedroom drawer, I have a set of plain old industrial magnets to share with visiting kids. We love exploring the fascinating world of gripping metal. My old kitchen magnet collection, which covers a metal wreath, is relegated to a wall in the garage.

A magnetic pen magically bobbles on my desk.

Because of the recall, I won’t buy more Polly Pocket stuff. I bought the dollhouse a few years ago, long before grandchildren or the safety commission action, and found it a few months back stuffed in a closet.

Mattel had a great idea with clothes that stick on like magic. As a consumer, I’ve chosen to keep the toys, and I promise to supervise their use.

Columnist Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.