July
2, 2001
Chicco
USA Inc., of Bound Brook, N.J., is voluntarily recalling about 6,000
Build-A-Ball preschool toys. The Build-A-Ball toy consists of five
multi-colored and various-sized plastic balls that can be taken apart to be
stacked on top of each other or placed inside each other. Some of the
larger-sized ball halves can become stuck on a young child's face, covering the
nose and mouth, and causing suffocation. CPSC received a report of a 2-year-old
boy who had a ball-half stuck on his face, covering his nose and mouth. A
nearby adult was able to pull the toy from his face. No injury to the child was
reported.
The five balls in the toy set range in size from about 2-inches to 4-inches in
diameter. One-half of the balls are white, green, blue, red or yellow, and the other
half is clear. "chicco" is written inside the balls. The balls are
packaged in a box labeled "chicco," "Build-a-Ball,"
"Cod. 66167," and "Made in China." The packaging also
indicated the toy is for children ages 1-3 years or 1-4 years. The text on the
packaging is written in 11 languages. Amazon.com, Army & Air Force
Exchanges and other toy stores nationwide sold these toys from January 1999
through April 2001 for about $6.
Parents and caregivers should take these balls away from young children immediately
and return the toys to the store where purchased for a refund. For more
information, consumers should call Chicco USA Inc., toll-free at (866) 242-0643
between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the
company's web site www.chiccousa.com. Chicco Contact: Elizabeth Orlowsky