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Magnets pose deadly risk for children if swallowed
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Public awareness is essential in addressing the dangers of magnet ingestion by young children, according to a recent report published in The Lancet.
Anil Thomas George, MD, and Sandeep Motiwale, MD, of Queen’s Medical Centre in the United Kingdom, wrote that the widespread availability of popular, inexpensive toys with magnetic parts could make the problem of accidental ingestion of magnetic elements more common.
“We are particularly concerned about the widespread availability of cheap magnetic toys where the magnetic parts could be easily detached,” George and Motiwale wrote. “Parents should be warned of the risk of magnet ingestion, particularly in small children. We believe that improvement in public awareness about this risk will be key in preventing such incidents.”
According the George and Motiwale, when several magnetic elements are ingested, they can stick to each other inside the body, trapping soft tissues with forces of up to 1300 gauss. The magnets compress the intervening bowel, which may lead to subsequent fistulation and perforation.
To address the growing issue of magnet ingestion, the American Academy of Pediatrics provided several tips for pediatricians:
- Talk to patients about magnet safety; pediatricians can instruct patients to keep these products away from children and inform adolescents about the dangers associated with using magnets to mimic piercings in their mouths, ears or noses. Parents should be encouraged to closely monitor loose magnets and other magnet products, contacting a pediatrician immediately if they suspect a magnet has been swallowed or inhaled.
- Know the symptoms of magnet safety; children who have ingested magnets may present with symptoms of abdominal pain, vomiting and fever. These symptoms are common in children, and the true cause may not be suspected at first. Pediatricians should be mindful of this possible etiology and ask questions to ascertain if the child had access to magnets.
- Report injuries and incidences of magnet ingestions to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the federal agency tasked with ensuring that children’s toys and other consumer products are safe. Visit www.saferproducts.gov for more information.
In a recent AAP report, Mark A. Gilger, MD, FAAP, a member of the AAP Section on Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Executive Committee, and R. Adam Noel, MD, associate professor of pediatrics at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, wrote that issues with swallowing neodymium magnets began to surface around 2002, with isolated case reports. The numbers have increased since then, they wrote, with 20 cases of magnet ingestion and injury in children reported in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report in 2006.
In 2009, the CPSC issued a ban on the sale of rare earth magnets to children aged younger than 14 years. When manufacturers failed to comply with the ban, the CPSC ordered a recall on 175,000 packages. Within months, manufacturers had relabeled their products “for adults only” and continued sales, according to Gilger and Noel.
“Despite several well-publicized national efforts to keep these dangerous magnets out of the hands of children, the ingestions continue, many with serious, life-long and costly consequences,” they wrote. “It is clear that greater effort is needed to protect our children and prevent these unnecessary injuries.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosure.
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