Doctors warn of magnetic toy dangers as study reveals hundreds of children hospitalised

Southampton researchers are warning parents to take care when buying toys containing magnets, after new data reveals the dangers of children swallowing them.

A study has found around 300 UK youngsters were admitted to A&E in a single year after ingesting the tiny metal items. One in 10 required life-saving operations.

It also found children who swallow two or more magnets were at a far higher risk of long-term damage, as the pieces can clamp together in their tummy.

The study, by the University of Southampton (UoS), is the first to investigate how many children under the age of 16 in the UK have been affected. Known by the acronym MAGNETIC, it has now been published in the journal Archives of Diseases in Childhood.

‘Very little warning’

Nigel Hall, Professor of Paediatric Surgery at UoS and Southampton Children's Hospital, was the lead author. He says retailers must do more to increase warnings on magnetic toy labels.

Prof Hall added: “Our study reveals that 300 children and young people are being hospitalised each year in the UK after ingesting magnets.

“These magnets have potential to harm a large number of children and young people and increase work for the NHS. Yet many magnetic toys provide very little warning for parents and caregivers of the dangers they pose, particularly those purchased from online marketplaces.

“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. 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.”

New insights

More than two in every 100,000 children swallow magnets each year according to the data, which was provided by 66 UK hospitals between May 2022 and April 2023.

However, that figure is likely to be far higher, according to Prof Hall, as not all hospitals shared their data with the University team.

The study also found that six per cent of swallowing cases were linked to viral social media trends, where the children – mostly girls - were trying to imitate tongue piercings by placing small magnets in their mouths.

What to do if your child swallows a magnet

Magnets are found in a wide range of toys, such as magnetic ball sets as well as fake piercings and other household objects.

The research has been welcomed by the Child Accident Prevention Trust, which is the only UK charity to focus on preventing death and serious injury to young people from avoidable accidents.

The charity is now working alongside the report authors to raise awareness of the dangers of strong magnets. It is offering five top tips for parents, in their advice on magnet safety:

• If you have small children, don’t have small loose magnets in the house
• Small magnetic fidget sets for adults or older children can be very dangerous for any age child if they swallow the magnets
• Only buy magnetic toys from reputable retailers or brand names you know
• Never buy cheap magnetic toys or products from third-party sellers on online marketplaces
• If you think your child may have swallowed magnets go straight to A&E or call an ambulance

Katrina Phillips OBE, Chief Executive of the Child Accident Prevention Trust, said: “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.

“These super strong magnets can rip through a child’s guts and leave them with life-changing injuries. One boy has died. Take a moment to check who you’re buying from. Don’t assume that, just because you can buy something, it must be safe.”

Doctors from Southampton have emphasised the importance of attending emergency departments early if a child is known or suspected to have swallowed a magnet.

Prof Hall said: “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.”

Rebecca’s story

Two-year-old Rebecca McCarthy was left fighting for her life in 2021 after swallowing 14 brightly coloured magnetic balls.

The toddler had two hours of surgery, where doctors temporarily removed her intestines to reach the magnets that had attracted together and buried deep into her tissue.

Rebecca had swallowed the magnets, thinking they were sweets, without anyone suspecting.

Her mother Sam said the first sign Rebecca was unwell was when she vomited one lunchtime.

At first, doctors told Mum Sam and Dad Steve they thought Rebecca had a gastric bug. Rebecca’s symptoms came and went. It wasn’t until two agonising nights later, and a second visit to A&E, that doctors made the shocking discovery of 14 magnetic balls inside Rebecca’s stomach.

“She was taken to the X-ray room and scans were taken. That’s when my life changed forever in an instant.” said Sam.

Rebecca was rushed into surgery. Mum Sam held Rebecca down while doctors administered the anesthetic before operating.

“As the anaesthetic kicked in, I was escorted from the operating room and stepped out into what felt like total darkness. Rebecca was in the hands of the surgeons now. Those two hours felt like a lifetime. So much waiting, not really knowing what was happening.”

Finally, surgeons confirmed they had successfully retrieved the 14 magnetic balls and Rebecca had pulled through the surgery. But Rebecca wasn’t out of danger yet. Surgeons warned Sam they needed to be on alert for any serious symptoms after the operation.

The magnetic balls had come from three sets bought for her nine-year-old brother for Christmas. In all, there were over 600 tiny balls in their home.

After the surgery, Dad Steve spent weeks going over the house for the tiny balls. Even with a giant magnet to try to attract them Sam and Steve knew some could escape detection, attaching to screws on the bottom of chairs or down the sides of furniture.

Mum, Sam said: “When we finally got home, I was so worried about Rebecca I slept next to her for weeks. Our home felt like a warzone knowing these horrible little magnets could be anywhere.

“I would hate for any other child to go through what Becca suffered because of buying dangerous toys from sellers on online marketplaces.

“Rebecca’s accident devastated the whole family. She had months of ongoing health issues. I still find it incredibly painful to think about. The memory will never fade.”