The study found that one in 10 of those admitted required life-saving operations after swallowing magnets
New research has revealed a worrying spike in A&E admissions, with around 300 kids treated in just one year after swallowing magnets, some of whom were participating in social media challenges to mimic tongue piercings.
The study conducted by the University of Southampton uncovered that 10% of those hospitalised needed urgent life-saving surgery following the ingestion of magnets which are commonly found in items such as magnetic ball sets, faux piercings, and various other domestic gadgets.
Paediatric surgery expert Professor Nigel Hall from the University of Southampton and Southampton Children’s Hospital warns parents about the risks associated with magnet-inclusive toys.
Professor Hall stated: “These magnets have potential to harm a large number of children and young people and increase work for the NHS.”
He also pointed out the lack of sufficient warnings, noting: “Yet many magnetic toys provide very little warning for parents and caregivers of the dangers they pose, particularly those purchased from online marketplaces.”
Highlighting the emotional toll, he elaborated: “Having an unplanned emergency operation is a traumatic experience for any child and their family – and needing a surgical procedure means time in hospital for days after.”
He also shed light on the severity of the injuries, adding: “Around one in 10 of these young patients had surgery with most ending up with serious problems, like needing part of their bowel removed or requiring a stoma.”
A new study published in the Archives of Diseases in Childhood journal indicates that over two in every 100,000 children swallow magnets annually. This data, gathered from 66 UK hospitals between May 2022 and April 2023, suggests that the actual numbers could be higher as some hospitals did not share their figures.
The investigation also found a worrying trend that 6% of the swallowing incidents related to social media challenges where children, predominantly girls, used small magnets to mimic tongue piercings.
In a distressing case from 2021, two year old Rebecca McCarthy from Basildon, Essex, nearly lost her life after ingesting 14 colourful magnetic balls. The toddler endured two hours of surgery, which included the temporary removal of her intestines to extract the magnets that had magnetically connected and embedded into her tissue.
Rebecca’s mother, Sam, recounted the harrowing experience, revealing the first sign of trouble was when her daughter vomited during lunch. She said: “Rebecca’s accident devastated the whole family. She had months of ongoing health issues. I still find it incredibly painful to think about.”
She continued by sharing the persistent impact of the ordeal, “The memory will never fade. I would hate for any other child to go through what Becca suffered because of buying dangerous toys from sellers on online marketplaces.”
The Child Accident Prevention Trust, the sole UK charity dedicated to preventing children from dying or being seriously harmed by accidents, has welcomed the research findings.
Katrina Phillips, chief executive of the Child Accident Prevention Trust, has issued a stark warning about the dangers of purchasing magnets, revealing: “Take great care when buying magnets. We’ve seen magnetic toys with a flux of 850, 17 times higher than the legal limit of 50.”
She warned of the severe risks involved, stating: “These super strong magnets can rip through a child’s guts and leave them with life-changing injuries. One boy has died.”
Phillips urged caution and due diligence from consumers, advising: “Take a moment to check who you’re buying from. Don’t assume that, just because you can buy something, it must be safe.”
Medical professionals in Southampton have also stressed the critical need for prompt emergency care if there is any suspicion of a child ingesting a magnet.
Prof Hall emphasised: “Most children who have swallowed a magnet do not show any symptoms, so it is really important that all cases have an X-ray to find out for certain.”
Dr Adrian Boyle, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM), spoke on the emotional impact of such incidents: “These incidents can be extremely distressing for the child and their caregivers.”
He highlighted the efforts of RCEM to combat this issue, saying: “We at RCEM have worked to raise awareness of the issue of children swallowing small items such as super strong mini-magnets, button batteries and water beads – by issuing a ‘safety flash’ for our members, as well as advice to parents and carers warning about these potentially ‘hidden hazards’.”
Boyle, speaking from personal experience, added: “As a parent I know we all do our best to be vigilant as to what our children are putting in their mouths – but it is impossible to monitor them all the time.
“If any carer thinks a child has swallowed an item they shouldn’t have, take them to A&E – even if they have no symptoms.
“In cases such as this it really is better to be safe than sorry – and to have the child examined by a medical professional.”