Infant toys recalled

WASHINGTON - About 550,000 infant toys are being recalled because their small parts may pose a choking hazard to young children.

Pawtucket, R.I.-based Playskool, in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, is recalling its Klackeroo toys.

The company has received 10 reports of the toy's knobs detaching to release small parts, including four reports of a small part from the toy being found in the mouths of infants and young children. There have been no reported injuries.

Playskool's Klackeroo is a brightly colored toy with orange plastic rods and small geometric shapes that move through a center purple ball. Green, yellow, blue and red knobs with animal faces or the sun and moon imprinted on them cap both ends of each orange rod.

When shaken, the rods move through the ball and the geometric shapes slide along each rod, making a ''clacking'' sound.

Toy and mass merchandise stores, including Toys ''R'' Us and Wal-Mart, sold these toys from October 1997 through September 2000 for about $8 each.

Parents and caregivers should take the toy away from infants and young children immediately, and contact Playskool anytime at (888) 671-9764 to receive a free, redesigned replacement toy.

The recalled products will be replaced by a redesigned Klackeroo toy (model number 5542) which will feature a red center ball with no sliding geometric shapes.

---

On the Net:

The Consumer Product Safety Commission: http://www.cpsc.gov