Loading...
Emergency physicians know that the potential for serious problems is small when children ingest button batteries, as long as the battery traverses the esophagus successfully. This report summarizes injuries to the more distal gastrointestinal tract associated with ingestion by children of small, powerful, rare-earth magnets used in small toys.
The U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission has identified 20 cases (age range, 10 months to 11.5 years) of magnet ingestion from 2003 through 2006. Most children swallowed more than one magnet from small toys at home, school, or day-care facilities. Several children also swallowed other metal objects. One child died, and 75% had bowel perforations; four children had bowel obstruction and peritonitis, a…