Magnet-Powered Toys Increasing Risk to Children: Study

Tiny magnet toys for children may seem relatively harmless. Yet oftentimes, these knick-knacks are unthinkingly ingested by little ones, resulting in injuries that can be fatal in some cases.

A recent study conducted by researchers at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto examined the rate of child injuries from ingesting small, magnetic toys. Findings showed that from April 2002 through December 2012, more than 2,700 children under the age of 18 were brought to the emergency room for foreign body ingestion.

"We chose to limit our scope to the alimentary tract because the majority of serious harm from magnets arises from perforations and fistulae of the stomach, small bowel and colon," said lead study author Dr. Matt Strickland, via WebMD.

Ninety-four of the cases involved study parameters of .30, in which the children had swallowed more than one magnet. However, out of those 30 cases, six of the children needed surgery--all of whom were male. All of the injuries occurred between 2010 and 2012.

Researchers found that the number of magnet cases based on two different time periods was particularly worrisome as ingestion rates increased significantly over time.

For instance, researchers found that magnet cases between 2002 and 2009 to 2010 and 2012 tripled. In 2009, small, spherical magnet sets were also introduced in the market as the number of magnet related injuries spiked at 10 times.

"With the inclusion of smaller, spherical magnets in children's toys, we are seeing an increased number of visits to the hospital for surgeries to remove them from the gastrointestinal tract," Strickland added, via FOX News. "Today's magnets are also 20 times more powerful than older magnets, with the potential to cause more damage."

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Pediatrics.