What every parent should know about magnets
Stacey from Daisy First Aid Guildford & Redhill explains why small magnets can be more than a choking risk to children…
Most fridge attire is a good sized shape held to the fridge with a small round magnet at the back.
My 2 year old daughter loves our fridge magnets – fascinated by how they magically stick to the fridge, our brightly coloured plastic coated magnetic letters are also great at teaching her early phonetics and spelling simple words.
As great as they are, however, most parents are completely unaware of the danger that is posed if their child swallows several magnets, aside from the obvious choking risk if it gets stuck in their throat.
Why are magnets dangerous if swallowed?
If multiple magnets are swallowed, they will be attracted to each other, even once inside the body. The magnetic force is so strong that they will actively seek to connect together, and they will do this at all costs. There have been cases reported of severe internal bleeding – which has been fatal in children – due to magnets ripping through a child’s insides to connect together.
Earlier this year, 2 year old Ava Kendall swallowed 9 small round magnets from her parent’s fridge. They had no idea anything was even wrong until the poor toddler started screaming in pain and clutching her stomach. Unaware of what had happened, doctor’s misdiagnosed her initially with bad stomach flu. Sadly however, this was not the case and Ava was left fighting for her life as the magnets burrowed into her intestines trying to connect to each other inside her body. After a long spell in intensive care and multiple surgerie, thankfully Ava was able to make a recovery but there have been children that were not so lucky in the USA last year.
What symptoms should I look for?
It can be very hard to spot internal bleeding and it is also very difficult to treat and stop internal bleeding.
If someone suffers internal bleeding, sometimes the first warning sign externally is that the person goes into shock. If someone is is shock, visible symptoms can include:
- cold, clammy hands
- shaky
- dizzy
- confused or signs of memory loss
- suddenly very agitated
- thirsty
What to do if your child swallows a magnet?
- Watch them closely to ensure that it has not got stuck, causing them to choke
- Keep them nil-by-mouth – nothing to eat or drink
- Don’t try to make them sick – this can be very distressing for children
- Seek urgent medical attention to for further advice
If you child swallows more than one magnet, call 999 immediately and get them to hospital for further tests and observation.
About Stacey:
Stacey is a mum to 2 year old Caitlyn and runs Daisy First Aid Redhill, Guildford & Surrounding areas.
Daisy First Aid run 2 hour first aid classes in parent’s homes which focus on babies and children to give parents, grandparents and carers the skills and confidence to act fast in an accident or emergency situation. If you would like more information, visit www.daisyfirstaid.com