Parents issue warning over common item we all have on the fridge

Parents issue warning after their two-year-old swallowed this item commonly found on the fridge in many households.

When Kyle McBrien came out of the bathroom to find his daughter Ella holding some of his Buckyballs – neodymium magnets, in her hand, he quickly realised the two-year-old with a tendency for putting things in her mouth had likely swallowed some.

original-bucky-ball-cube

In fact, the toddler had managed to swallow 28 of the high-power magnets.

“It sounds as benign as humanly possible — magnets, you don’t think anything of it,” he told Colorado’s Fox News station KDVR

They rushed Ella to the hospital even before she showed any symptoms and doctors say they got to her just in time.

The magnets had all come together to form a circle in her bowel but two of the magnets were pinching the lining, which was starting to create a hole.

xray

Dr. Robert Kramer, Director of Endoscopy at Children’s Hospital Colorado was able to get to them before the hole was formed and avoided major surgery by performing a specialised endoscopy.

“In the worst cases there has been deaths associated with these,” Dr Kramer told KDVR of holes in the bowel.

The parents are now warning others about the dangers of small magnets.

Magnets are commonly found on the fridge (or kids white/chalk board) in many households. Make sure you check that they are not too small for little inquisitive people to pop in their mouth and check the backs of any alphabet magnets to make sure they are secure and not likely to become loose.

What to do if your child has swallowed a magnet:

If you think your child has swallowed a magnet, immediately seek medical attention by calling your doctor or go to the emergency department.

Swallowed magnets can stick together across intestines causing serious infections and death.

Don’t assume a swallowed magnet will pass normally.

16 Comments

- - Kasey said
  - 31 Oct 2017
    6:45 pm
What a horrible experience to go through.

- - BellaB said
  - 02 Oct 2017
    11:17 pm
I would have thought it was obvious to keep something that small out of reach.

- - country chick said
  - 28 Sep 2017
    9:27 pm
What a nightmare! Poor family

- - mom94125 said
  - 28 Sep 2017
    8:25 pm
magnets and little batteries are to be watched out for. great reminder for parents. thank god she is alright

- - mom90758 said
  - 28 Sep 2017
    1:03 pm
I never thought about magnets. But some are very small indeed!!
- mom93821 replied
  
  29 Sep 2017 , 5:00 am
  All little things seem to get popped into inquisitive little mouths – so many little hazards about the house and outdoors.
  - mom90758 replied
    
    29 Sep 2017 , 12:34 pm
    
    Yes! A very good idea to take them out of sight to avoid “temptation”.The results could be very tragic!!
- - mom93821 said
  - 28 Sep 2017
    11:57 am
Those little magnets are just so tempting and can cause such trouble.

- - taynik46 said
  - 28 Sep 2017
    7:42 am
wow what a lucky girl! its a good reminder because we all know what little people are like with sticking everything and anything in their mouths!

- - mom206279 said
  - 28 Sep 2017
    6:42 am
Things that small should be kept out of reach of young kids anyway. Even if it wont kill them if they swallow it they might choke on it first.

- - Ellen said
  - 28 Sep 2017
    3:59 am
So scary, glad they were on time ! Yeah, I only use magnets on the top part of the freezer door as well, but good to be warned another time.

- - Mum2archer said
  - 27 Sep 2017
    9:56 pm
Good to know about this! Im glad she is ok.

- - nadine_hill said
  - 27 Sep 2017
    8:36 pm
Terrible! The main reason I keep magnets, if any at all, on the high top freezer part of the fridge and not below!

- - mom112217 said
  - 27 Sep 2017
    5:49 pm
Thanks for the warning as you never know!

- - nealsq said
  - 27 Sep 2017
    4:58 pm
how scary!!

- - cherz said
  - 27 Sep 2017
    3:55 pm
These magnets had been banned ?? Any how why were these balls on the frig in the first place?
Thanks for reminding us of regular frig magnets and alphabet magnets though.