Doctors in the UK are warning parents to be extremely cautious when buying toys that contain magnets, after a new study revealed that around 300 children are hospitalized each year after swallowing them.
The research, led by the University of Southampton and published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, highlights the serious and sometimes life-threatening risks these small but powerful magnets pose to children.
The study found that about one in ten children who swallowed magnets needed emergency surgery to save their lives.
In most of these serious cases, the children had swallowed two or more magnets, which can attract each other inside the body.
When this happens, the magnets can pinch parts of the bowel together, cutting off blood supply and causing major damage. Some children ended up needing parts of their intestines removed, or even had to live with a stoma bag.
Professor Nigel Hall, a pediatric surgeon at Southampton Children’s Hospital and lead author of the study, explained that many toys containing magnets offer little or no warning about the dangers.
He said parents are often unaware of how risky these toys can be—especially if bought online from third-party sellers, where safety standards may be lower. He called on retailers to improve warning labels and urged parents to be vigilant about the toys they allow into their homes.
The study collected data from 66 UK hospitals between May 2022 and April 2023. Researchers believe the true number of magnet-swallowing cases is even higher, since not all hospitals contributed their records.
The results show that over two in every 100,000 children are affected each year, and doctors worry that some cases might go undiagnosed if the child shows no clear symptoms.
In one especially frightening case, two-year-old Rebecca McCarthy swallowed 14 colorful magnetic balls. At first, she simply vomited, but doctors later discovered the magnets had clamped together inside her body.
Surgeons had to remove her intestines to reach and remove the magnets during a two-hour emergency operation. Her mother, Sam, said the accident was devastating and has left long-term emotional and physical scars. She urged other parents not to trust toys sold cheaply online.
Doctors also warned about social media trends encouraging children—especially girls—to pretend they have tongue piercings by placing magnets on either side of their tongue. These dangerous stunts have led to more swallowing incidents, sometimes with serious consequences.
The Child Accident Prevention Trust, the only UK charity dedicated to preventing serious injuries in children, is working with the researchers to raise awareness.
CEO Katrina Phillips stressed that some magnetic toys have been found to contain magnets 17 times stronger than the legal safety limit. She reminded parents that just because something is for sale online doesn’t mean it’s safe.
Doctors urge parents to go straight to A&E or call an ambulance if they suspect their child has swallowed a magnet. Even if the child seems fine, magnets can cause serious internal damage without any early symptoms. An X-ray is the only way to know for sure.
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Source: University of Southampton.
