Half a Million Easter Toys Recalled From Target Due to 'Serious' Ingestion Hazard

Easter Sunday celebrations are for kids. However, some toy companies won't be making any profits this year as over half a million toys have been recalled from Target due to "serious ingestion hazard."

A recall hazard was posted last April 13 for the Hatch & Grow Easter Eggs, Easter Grow Toys and Hatch Your Own Dino that are sold at Target. The Easter toys were built to expand in size when placed in water. This toy mechanism is not new; however, the design for this particular batch of Easter toys pose risks for kids when ingested.

"If the small toy is ingested, it can expand inside a child's body and cause intestinal obstructions, resulting in severe discomfort, vomiting, dehydration and could be life-threatening," the notice from the Consumer Product Safety commission stated. "Surgery is required to remove the toy from the body if ingested. Medical professionals and parents should be aware that there is a possibility that the toys might not show up on an x-ray."

The design of the toys make them vulnerable to ingestion. To make it worse, if swallowed, it can expand and block the intestinal track of young children. In a worse case scenario, a surgery may be required to remove the foreign object from the body.

In total, there are about 560,000 of these toys sold at Target accross U.S. The toys were sold starting March this year. Target offers a full refund for consumers who already bought the items.

This is not the first time that expanding toys caused an alarm. In 2012, pediatricians issued a warning against expanding ball toys named Water Balz, according to a report. The balls could grow several inches after being placed in water. In a tragic incident, an eight-month old baby accidentally swallowed the toy and blocked her intestines. The toy was removed via surgery.

What makes the risk more alarming is the fact that they swallowed toys may not how up on x-rays. This means parents may revert back to the good old painted Easter eggs to entertain the kids this year. For refund, consumers may call Target's customer hotline at 800-440-0680.