Marbles
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Toys & Children's Recreation · CPSC Code 1354
Up 13% over 5 years
The verdict
Marbles carry a danger score of 35/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 2,551 ER-treated injuries a year that are rising by about 13% over the last five years.
- 35/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 2,551
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 3.0%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1354 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 35/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for marbles - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume2,551 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)3.0%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend+13%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Marbles (CPSC product code 1354, in the Toys & Children's Recreation category) generate an estimated 2,551 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 51,010 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 35/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are rising by about 13% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2006 (3,606 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2013 (1,638 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for marbles is ingestion to the internal, accounting for approximately 38,288 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by foreign body to the face (3,306 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 26,320 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 3.0% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 2 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how marbles fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 15,201 | 11,119 | |
| 5-14 | 13,637 | 7,257 | |
| 15-24 | 550 | 174 | |
| 25-34 | 446 | 311 | |
| 35-44 | 360 | 64 | |
| 45-54 | 377 | 219 | |
| 55-64 | 337 | 332 | |
| 65-74 | 124 | 244 | |
| 75+ | 139 | 120 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | Ingestion | |
| Face | Foreign Body | |
| Ear | Foreign Body | |
| Internal | Aspiration | |
| Lower Trunk | Foreign Body | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Pubic Region | Foreign Body | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Pubic Region | Other | |
| Toe | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Other | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
3YOF PRESENTS TO ED FOR FOREIGN BODY IN NOSE. PT MOM FOUND PT PICKING NOSE TRYING TO GET MARBLE OUT OF NOSE. MARBLES ARE 5 MM IN DIAMETER. SOME ARE MAGNETIC NO ONE WITNESSED SWALLOWING OR INSERTION. DX: FOREIGN BODY IN NOSE
8YOM SWALLOWED A MARBLE DX: FOREIGN BODY INGESTION
3YOM,PLAYING WITH SISTER TOOK ROUND MARBLE AND PLACE NOSTRIL,DX:FB NOSTRIL
2YOF SWALLOWED A MARBLE DX: FOREIGN BODY INGESTION
3 YOM. SWALLOWED A MARBLE. DX: SWALLOWED FOREIGN BODY
3YOM PRESENTS TO THE ED AFTER THE PATIENT SWALLOWED A MARBLE. DX: SWALLOWED FOREIGN BODY
6YOM PRESENTS WITH NO STATED INJURY AFTER PARENTS FOUND MULTIPLE DECORATIVE GLASS MARBLES FROM THE GRADEN IN HIS STOOL; UNKNOWN HOW MANY HE MAY HAVE INGESTED DX: INGESTION OF FOREIGN BODY
4YOM, BROUGHT IN BY MOTHER WHO BELIEVES THAT HE SWALLOWED A MARBLE, ACTING HIMSELF DX: FOREIGN BODY IN DIGESTIVE TRACT
5YOF PRESENTS WITH GAGGING AFTER SWALLOWING A MARBLE. DX: SWALLOWED FOREIGN BODY
5YOM ACCIDENTALLY SWOLLED A MARBLE DX: FOREIGN BODY INGESTION
3YOM PRESENTS WITH MARBLE STUCK IN PT NOSE FOR 3 HOURS. DX: FOREIGN BODY IN NOSE
10YOM SWALLOWED A MARBLE DX: FOREIGN BODY INGESTION *
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
The product is called 50 Marbles Manufactured by Imperial Toy LLC 2015 Imperial Toy LLC Made in China The submitter is reporting the product for posing a laceration hazard. Two marbles shattered while three 6 to 7 year old girls were playing. She indicated that the girls had been playing for about 5 minutes. The girls were using the large marble to hit the smaller marbles and the impact of the large marble hitting the smaller marble caused the 3 smaller marble to shatter. Three marbles shattered in 5 minutes. She is concerned that the pieces of glass can injure a child. She returned the product to the retail store and doesnt have any product info but indicated that the product is sold in all retail chain stores. She reported the incident to the store manager and suggested they remove the item. She indicated that the product has the 50 marbles inside a plastic netting bag and it is intended for children 5 years and up. The product includes 49 small marbles and 1 large marble. Address on label: Imperial Toy LLC North Hills, CA 91343 Website listed on label: Imperialtoy.com Package says it meets CPSC safety requirements. [REDACTED]
Marbles we purchased for our children break easily causing potential injuries from broken glass. We placed the marbles in a cloth bag for storage and when opening the bag after setting it on our carpeted floor we noticed small pieces of glass mixed in with the marbles. We then found some of the marbles were damaged and broke with minor contact with other marbles.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to marbles on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are marbles?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, marbles have a danger score of 35/100 (low risk). An estimated 2,551 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from marbles?
The most common injury is ingestion to the internal, accounting for approximately 38,288 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from marbles increasing or decreasing?
Up 13% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for marbles injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 26,320 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by marbles?
Of all ER visits involving marbles, approximately 3.0% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (97.0%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with marbles?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Toys & Children's Recreation
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 35/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 0-4 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
