Kids swallowing magnets
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat. Anyone who has raised a child knows that they commonly mouth objects to explore their world. It’s natural. It also can be dangerous. And a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tells about 19 surgeries and a death due to children swallowing small but powerful magnets found in beads, jewelry and many toys. The CDC’s Julie Gilchrist tells what can happen: "An individual magnet may be small enough to pass through the digestive tract. But if a child swallows more than one, or a magnet and another metal object, they can attach to each other across intestinal wall, causing obstructions or holes." (12 seconds) Gilchrist says parents should keep magnets and magnetic toys away from children under six. The report of data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission is in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Learn more at www.hhs.gov. HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss. Last revised: February, 16 2007 | 
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