Boston Globe, "Reebok recalls bracelets after boy dies; Canton firm seeking 300,000 after Minn. lead poisoning case"

          Sneaker-maker Reebok International Ltd. said yesterday it is recalling about 300,000 charm bracelets after one was linked to the lead-poisoning death of a 4-year-old in Minnesota. The bracelets, which have heart-shaped charms with Reebok's name on them, were offered as gifts with the purchase of some children's footwear for nearly two years, said Canton-based Reebok.
          According to the Minnesota Department of Health, a child died last month from lead-induced brain swelling after swallowing a piece of the bracelet. "Laboratory analysis of the charm from the child indicated it contained 99 percent lead," the department said in a statement; the safety threshold for lead content in jewelry is 0.06 percent.
          "Reebok is cooperating fully with appropriate regulators, and working hard to fully understand what happened, how it happened, why it happened -- and most importantly -- how we can immediately take steps to prevent it from happening again," said Paul Harrington, chief executive of the Reebok brand, in a statement. "I want to assure all of our consumers and our retailers that I will do everything in my power to ensure that no other family, no other child, suffers a similar tragedy."