Consumers are being warned about magnetic dart boards sold at Family Dollar stores in the United States that could cause health problems if young children swallow the magnets.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the importer, Family Dollar of Charlotte, N.C., issued the recall Friday.

Parents should take the recalled toys away from children and return the board and all of the darts to a Family Dollar store for a refund.

About 250,000 dart boards were sold from January 2001 through January 2008 for about $5.

Family Dollar said small magnets at the ends of the darts can detach, and if more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestinal perforation.

The magnetic dart board is about 40 centimetres wide with a black, white, green, and red bull's-eye checkered design and was sold with six 10-centimetre long magnetic darts. The darts magnetically adhere to the dart board when thrown. “Made in China” is embossed on the back of the board.

Recall notice