Consumer rights group Which? has issued a stark warning to parents about the dangers of magnets in children's toys, cautioning that they could cause severe injury or even death. The organisation took to social media to urge vigilance after finding that some toys contain magnets up to four times more powerful than UK guidelines permit.
Risk of severe injury or death
According to Which?, if swallowed, these powerful magnets can attract each other inside the digestive system, tearing through the lining of the gut and causing life-threatening injuries. An estimated 300 children are admitted to hospital each year after swallowing magnets, though the true number may be higher as not all hospitals report such incidents.
The legal limit for magnetic flux in toys is 50. However, Which? tested a selection of toys purchased from online marketplaces and found that some magnetic building blocks failed impact tests, easily snapping open and spilling tiny magnets that were almost four times stronger than allowed.
Demonstration of danger
A video accompanying the warning showed two magnets clamped on either side of a piece of meat, vividly illustrating the threat to human tissue. Approximately one in 10 children hospitalised after swallowing magnets require life-saving surgery, according to experts.
Nigel Hall, professor of paediatric surgery at the University of Southampton and Southampton Children's Hospital, emphasised the long-term consequences. He said: "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."
Expert advice
Professor Hall added: "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."
Emma Hammett, an expert at First Aid For Life, provided guidance for parents: "If you suspect your child has swallowed a magnet, the only way to know for certain is to get them x-rayed. Don't make them sick, don't give them anything to eat or drink. Take them up to your nearest A&E department and explain that you think they may have swallowed a magnet. Always supervise children around magnets and only buy toys from retailers that comply with UK safety standards."
