Children's Jewelry Sold at American Girl Stores Recalled for Lead Poisoning Hazard

March 30, 2006 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: American Girl Children's Jewelry

Units: About 180,000

Manufacturer: American Girl Inc., of Middleton, Wis., a division of Mattel Inc., of El Segundo, Calif.

Hazard: The recalled jewelry contains high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The recall includes American Girl necklaces, bracelets, earrings and hair accessories for girls. The recall does not include jewelry for American Girl dolls. The jewelry's packaging features a red and white cardboard backing with "American Girl" and "Made in China" written on the front.

Sold at: Only American Girl Place in Chicago and New York, and the American Girl Outlet in Oshkosh, Wis., from May 1999 through February 2006 for between $8 and $12. American Girl jewelry sold through its catalogue or Web site is not included in the recall.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take recalled jewelry away from children and return the items for a full refund (including applicable tax and return postage costs) to:

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact American Girl at (800) 659-0164 between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. CT, seven days a week, or visit American Girl's Web site at www.americangirl.com/recall

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.asp. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.