Powerful Magnets: Small Toys Can Pack a Deadly Punch
EmailTonya Monteith knew something was wrong with her son Jericho, but doctors just couldn’t figure it out. The 18-month-old was vomiting, lethargic, and spiked a fever of 104 degrees. Frantic after four days when the toddler only seemed to grow worse, Monteith raced Jericho to an emergency room where an ultrasound finally revealed the problem.
“They came back and said he had three metal spheres in his lower right abdomen, and they asked if I knew what it was,” said Monteith, who lives in Las Vegas. It turned out the spheres were tiny high-powered magnets, part of a set that belonged to Monteith’s 16 year old nephew. Somehow Jericho had found a few loose magnets, and swallowed them.
“They had attached themselves to each other through his intestines”, said Monteith, “and everywhere that those magnets touched ate through his intestines.”
Doctors rushed Jericho into surgery and were forced to remove three inches of his small intestine, and six inches of his large intestine. The toddler spent two weeks in the ICU. Jericho is not alone.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is now sounding its first ever warning about kits containing high powered magnets, often marketed to adults as desk toys or stress reducers. The magnets can be linked to form patterns or shapes.
“They are office toys”, said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenebaum, “They unfortunately are finding their way into the hands of children to devastating result.”
The CPSC has reports of 21 incidents involving the magnets. In 16 cases they were swallowed and 10 children needed surgery to remove them. The problem is growing. Just one incident in 2009, seven in 2010, and 13 already this year.
“Many times parents take their child to a doctor multiple times before it is even diagnosed,” said Tenebaum. She urged parents to “keep all magnets away from children,” and if you have them in the house and suspect your child may have swallowed them, “go immediately to the physician and ask for an x-ray so you can determine whether or not these magnets have reached the intestines of your child.”
According to the CPSC, it’s not just young children who’ve ingested these strong magnets.
“Also teenagers are accidently swallowing the magnets while using them to fake a body piercing such as a tongue ring,” Tenenbaum said.
For Jericho Monteith, who is now 28-months-old, the medical problems are far from over.
“There are some foods he will never be able to eat,” says Mom Tonya, “He can’t have any fried foods; he can’t have whole milk, only two percent milk.”
Jericho will also need additional surgery, for a hernia caused by the first surgery. Still, Tonya Monteith feels lucky.
“If they didn’t get it out in time,” she told ABC News, her voice breaking, “I mean, I can’t even imagine what the result would have been if I wouldn’t have caught it.”
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I guess we have two choices….1) ban all magnets or 2) explain to people that being a parent requires responsibility and ensuring your child is not getting into things he should not be
Posted by: watchyourkids | November 10, 2011 November 10, 2011, 7:43 am
We have magnets like these. We know exactly how many there are. When our children were younger, if any were missing, we searched until the set was found and back together. Under couches, rugs, you name it. People have to take responsibility for themselves and their kids. THIS is where I feel government is too much a nanny state. Get them out of our homes and doing what it should do – the economy, etc.
Posted by: pksk531 | November 10, 2011 November 10, 2011, 8:24 am
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Posted by: fgnfn | November 10, 2011 November 10, 2011, 8:25 am
Thanks for the advice, watchyourkids. It’s good to know that there are people like you who are able to keep a hawkeye on their children every second of every day. You really set the bar for the rest of us.
Posted by: Lisatlantic | November 10, 2011 November 10, 2011, 8:31 am
This is no big deal comrades. We must place our trust in Obama and the 99 percent. They will pass legislation to control this epidemic and none of us will have to lift a finger. Brother Obama wants nothing but safety and prosperity for us all! Believe!!
Posted by: nunya | November 10, 2011 November 10, 2011, 8:49 am
Lisaatlantic wrote:
Thanks for the advice, watchyourkids. It’s good to know that there are people like you who are able to keep a hawkeye on their children every second of every day. You really set the bar for the rest of us.
Well, if you are offended by someone having a higher standard than yourself, that is something you need to deal with. Attempting to discredit his point using sarcasm only shows that you feel somehow inadequate when caring for children, or have no idea how too. Stop blaming others for your mistakes and take responsibility for your actions, as I can only imagine someone who blames others alot for the own mistakes as the person who wrote that response.
Posted by: nunya | November 10, 2011 November 10, 2011, 8:55 am
No parent can watch their child 100% of the time. There are needed bathroom breaks, meals to prepare, etc.
The answer is to ban toys like this from your home until your youngest is out of the mouthing stage. There are plenty of toys that aren’t this dangerous but interesting to older kids.
And know your kids. Some young children never put toys in their mouths, others are very ‘mouthy’ even at the age of 3. I babysat some children like that and had to put away toys that my kids could safely play with at a younger age.
I’m glad this story is being published so parents can recognize the symptoms if their child is suddenly ill and they can insist on an x-ray.
Posted by: Librarian53 | November 10, 2011 November 10, 2011, 9:31 am
“Thanks for the advice, watchyourkids. It’s good to know that there are people like you who are able to keep a hawkeye on their children every second of every day. You really set the bar for the rest of us.” Actually, watchyourkids made no such claim, lisatlantic. The gist of his or her post was that parents are responsible for providing a safe environment. Treat potential hazards like these like loaded firearms or poison so that children who are too young to understand how dangerous these items can be can’t access them. Any parent whose defense to a child dying from a preventable hazard because they got that child got their hands on something they shouldn’t have is “I couldn’t watch them every second of every day” should be tried for murder.
Posted by: Publius | November 10, 2011 November 10, 2011, 9:45 am
This is why people should be required to pass some sort of common sense test (along with some kind of check of financial ability) and then be granted a license before being allowed to breed.
Posted by: Arf40 | November 10, 2011 November 10, 2011, 12:19 pm
@ watchyourkids … LOL.. well, we know there are a lot of parents that can not handle option 2, so we better do option 1.
Posted by: anotherday | November 10, 2011 November 10, 2011, 12:56 pm
I notice most of you blame the mother, with a degree of malice toward her. You certainly cannot blame the mother, she does have a home and household to maintain, and merely turned her back for a few minutes. Kids do swallow things, especially boys. I really do hope Jericho is all right, and hope the rest of you do not have any kids, you are about as compassionate and understanding as Jeffrey Domar
Posted by: Jim | November 10, 2011 November 10, 2011, 12:59 pm
“I notice most of you blame the mother, with a degree of malice toward her. You certainly cannot blame the mother…” If the child had swallowed some prescription medicine or some sharp objects like screws that were lying around within reach rather than some rare earth magnets, who would you blame, Jim?
Posted by: Publius | November 10, 2011 November 10, 2011, 2:28 pm
Would have been nice to have a picture of what these magnets look like-
Posted by: GetAGrip007 | November 10, 2011 November 10, 2011, 2:52 pm
Perhaps sarcasm wasn’t the best tone for me to take, but I’m frankly sick of parents being crucified by the general public any time a child is injured for any reason. Obviously there are cases where there is real neglect, but so many people immediately scream “LOUSY PARENTING” without knowing anything other than a news headline. Kids can injure themselves in ONE SINGLE SECOND. No person can have eyes on their child EVERY SECOND.
And no, my sarcasm does not mean I’m insecure or offended by this person’s “higher standard.” I’m a damn good parent. I’m just sick of the ignorance and judgement.
Posted by: Lisatlantic | November 10, 2011 November 10, 2011, 2:58 pm