Dr. Robert Noel, an associate professor of pediatrics in the Gastroenterology Division at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, offered these tips for parents and caregivers who might have magnet toys in their home or suspect their child has swallowed a magnet.
Because magnet toys have industrial strength magnetic force, they find each other, or anything else made of metal, inside the body just as easily as outside. The tissue is trapped between which can result in: Magnetic Tiles Toys
Tips for Parents, Caregivers Who Have Magnet Toys in Their Home:
Three-year-old Payton Bushnell of Oregon underwent surgery after swallowing a total of 37 Buckyball magnets, commonly sold together as a desktop toy. Doctors said the girl likely would have died had it not been for the operation, as some of the magnets had already torn several holes in her intestines and stomach. Credit: Photo courtesy of Randall Children
What You Should Do if You Suspect That Your Child Has Swallowed a Magnet:
For More Information, Visit the Following Resources:
North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN): LINK HERE
Magnetic Building Blocks Set American Academy of Pediatrics Alerts Pediatricians to Dangers of Magnet Ingestions: LINK HERE