Two local children have now swallowed magnets that came loose from Magnetix toys. One boy died last Thanksgiving. The other is hospitalized right now in intensive care.

"Don't let small children play with them and supervise older kids who do," said Dr. Richard Harruff, Chief Medical Examiner for King County.

Officials from Children's Hospital and Seattle King County Public Health Department said on Thursday what Penny Sweet of Redmond has been saying since November: "Don't let small children play with these toys," said Sweet, "Never in my mind did I think a toy could take my child's life."

"I wouldn't have them around my kids, until they were school age or older," adds Dr. Daniel Ledbetter, Medical Director at Children's.

The toys are plastic building blocks that are linked with magnets housed inside the plastic casings. And they're very popular.

"I'm concerned, I'm distressed," said Sweet.

She's concerned because other children may be in danger. Distressed because in November, her baby, 2-year-old Kenny Sweet, died after swallowing two of the tiny magnets.

The toys belonged to her older son, but the magnets apparently fell out of their plastic hardware and Kenny found them in the carpet.

The medical examiner said they magnetized in Kenny's digestive tract and pinched two ends of his of his intestine together. Dr. Harruff said it killed him.

And now, it has happened again. Right now, a 5-year-old boy is in the intensive care unit at Children's Hospital in Seattle. The boy also swallowed two magnets and nearly died. They eroded through his intestine and bacteria is spreading thru his blood stream, just like what happened to Kenny.

Children's Hospital's Dr. Daniel Ledbetter performed emergency surgery and saved the boy's life. "An X-ray had been done that showed a piece of metal," said Dr. Ledbetter.

Penny Sweet said it's taking too long to get the toys off the shelves. "They're still selling them on the shelves; they're still in the store," she said. "This is taking too long, this dangerous toy is out there."

Kenny's mom filed a lawsuit and wants a permanent injunction that would force Magnetix manufacturer Rose Art to re-make the toy and add a magnet warning label.

"We'd like all parents to be informed about what can happen," said Sweet.

The manufacturer did not return calls seeking comment. Shortly after Kenny's death, his mother said the toy company owner contacted her and told her he'd investigate how this happened and make sure it never happened again.

For months the Consumer Product Safety Commission has said it was investigating the death. Now, things have changed a bit as the Commission said today it has "a very serious investigation" going.

A spokesperson said the case has moved from their Northwest office to their Washington, D.C. office.

The symptoms of the kids' injuries are severe stomach pain and flu like symptoms.

Doctors say the unidentified 5-year-old now hospitalized at Children's should make a full recovery, but will remain hospitalized for another week.

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Dec. 20, 2005 -- Earlier Story From KOMOtv.com