Tips for Parents When Your Child Swallows a Magnet

By Mohamed Taki - Medical Research Editor | September 5th, 2012

If your child plays with magnets or toy objects that include magnets as its small parts, the following article may be of interest to you and your little ones.

Babies, toddlers and up to 6-year-old children put all sort of foreign objects in their mouth, from a Lego bus driver to the house key.

If parents don’t stay alert and vigilant during the child’s stages of development and exercise caution when an incident like that happens, it may cause some serious damage such as lead poisoning and, in some cases, lead to the child’s death.

Technically any object small enough to pass through the pharynx may be ingested by children. Items commonly swallowed during the baby’s teething period include coins, small toys, pencils, pens and their lids, batteries, needles and hairpins.

According to CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, “Because delays in diagnosis and treatment can lead to serious complications and death,” the report’s authors wrote.

“The children suspected of having ingested a battery should get prompt medical attention. It is also important to recognize that children might be reluctant or unable to say that they ingested a battery or gave one to a sibling.”

Foreign bodies can get stuck in the sub-oesophageal showing a wide range of symptoms depending on the magnitude of progression of the object through the gut.

Vague symptoms, such as recurrent vomiting, fever, passing rectal blood or acute intestinal obstruction may be present. If an object penetrates and perforates the esophagues, it can case acute chest pain and severe pain when swallowing, along with other signs of pleural effusion.

The good news is these objects are mainly radio-opaque, meaning that they are detectible through X-ray.

Normally after four months of age, babies are physically able to pick up things. It is an integral part of the child’s development to explore objects around him or her. Reaching, touching, snatching things of different colors and textures are all ways to learn about the new world.

Don’t stifle your child’s curiosity and eagerness to discover his new environment, instead take the necessary measures to protect your child and allow him or her to feed his inquisitiveness.

Pediatric care specialists are offering pragmatic and invaluable tips on how to cope with a curious child on a daily basis.

These tips go beyond, “parents and caregivers should keep sharp and hazardous material out of children’s reach.”

There are a variety of safety mechanisms to protect your baby from dangerous household items such as magnets. Use child locks to keep these harmful objects out of the baby’s reach and stored in drawers and cupboards around your home.
Always keep an eye out for tiny items that are hard to notice and put them away. When baby starts to crawl, it is imperative to remove houseplants, refrigerator magnets, stationary items and office supplies.
According to Kids Heath babies, kids start teething between 4 and 7 months, which drives them to chew and suck more often to sooth gum irritation. Rubber teething rings and other items are both clean, large to swallow and can effectively ease the child’s teething pain.
Even the most creative and curious baby gets bored too quickly. Make sure you rotate and switch toys regularly; this will keep him from picking objects around the house.
If you suspect your child has swallowed a magnet, immediately seek medical attention by rushing to the emergency room for an x-ray examination. In order to ensure your child didn’t swallow two magnets, which can appear as one magnet when one exists behind the other in an x-ray scan—ask your doctor to take at least two different x-ray views.
If your child complains from any suspicious, unexplained stomach symptoms and you have too many magnets, consider the possibility of your child having swallowed one.
Choose a pediatrician and make it a habit to visit the doctor periodically and medically examine your child for harmful objects and household items.

Exploring and discovering new things is important for your baby’s mental development, so always remember that being over-protective can do as much psychologically damage as swallowing a magnet.

Following these tips will help maintain your child’s physical, mental and psychological well-being—and keep him free of magnets and foreign objects.

To learn more about pediatric care treatments, find a pediatrician near you.