Toy magnets present a grave danger to young children, even under the watchful eye of parents during playtime.
New research, to be presented by emergency medicine specialist Leah Middelberg of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, reveals that the number of children requiring emergency surgery to remove neodymium magnets remains unchanged despite efforts to raise awareness of the risks.
It appears, the researchers conclude, that the only effective means of preventing children from ingesting magnets is to completely restrict their access. Kids and magnets simply do not mix.
“High-powered, rare-earth magnetic balls or beads are often marketed as enjoyable, stress-relieving toys, but they are among the most hazardous toys when swallowed by children,” states pediatric surgeon Minna Wieck of UC Davis Children’s Hospital.
“It doesn’t matter what the child’s socioeconomic or racial background may be, whether the child is under supervision, or if the supervising adults are aware of the magnets’ dangers – children still manage to ingest them, and many require surgery to address the internal damage caused by the magnets.
“The only foolproof way to ensure these injuries do not occur is to keep these types of magnets away from children.”
Rare-earth magnets have surged in popularity as toys over the past few decades, and they undeniably provide great entertainment. However, as their popularity has risen, so too has the number of children ingesting them, as indicated by a study published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health.
Children have a natural inclination to put things in their mouths: for very young kids, mouthing objects is a normal part of development. However, kids of all ages have ended up in emergency rooms due to rare-earth magnet injuries, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Furthermore, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns that even teenagers can swallow powerful magnets disguised as fake piercings.
Once ingested, magnets can attract to each other or other objects. In one instance, a 5-year-old boy swallowed a magnet, and a few days later swallowed a small metal ball, as recounted in a case study published by the CDC.
Magnets have the ability to connect through tissues, and when they pull together, they can cause perforations, twisted or blocked bowels, infections, or bloodstream infections. In rare cases, ingestion of magnets can even result in tragic fatalities, as reported by the Australian Product Safety Commission and NBC Chicago.
Fortunately, the child in the aforementioned case underwent surgery promptly, preventing significant internal damage caused by the magnets.
In order to reduce these alarming injuries, age restrictions, warning labels, and even product recalls have been implemented. However, despite these efforts, incidents still occur.
Middelberg and her colleagues extensively analyzed patient data from 25 children’s hospitals in the United States between 2017 and 2019. They identified a total of 594 cases involving magnet-related injuries, not limited to swallowing, but also instances where magnets became lodged in ears or nostrils, affecting patients under the age of 21.
Interestingly, the majority (74.3 percent) of these injuries were documented among children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds, who likely have greater access to high-powered magnet sets and parents who are more knowledgeable about the associated risks. However, cases from lower socioeconomic backgrounds tended to be more severe, necessitating surgical intervention, extended hospital stays, and readmissions.
The researchers discovered no variance in the time it took for parents to seek medical attention or in the number of magnets ingested or inserted by the patients. Small yet powerful magnets simply prove too enticing, it seems.
“Parents rarely believe that their child would be ‘silly enough to swallow’ magnets. Unfortunately, children are doing so with increasing frequency, despite adult supervision and even when adults are aware that these magnets carry potential dangers,” states Wieck.
“Since the risk is directly proportionate to access, the most effective measure to prevent injuries is to eliminate high-powered magnets from any environment where children may be present.”
The findings from this research will be presented on October 22, 2023, at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition.
