Have you seen those adult magnet toys? The ones that are advertised as fidget toys and stress relievers? Do you have one at home?
How about the kids’ toys with tiny magnets inside, like the K’nex system, just to name one?
Perhaps you use small magnets on your refrigerator to keep your lists and photos up.
They can all be deadly if ingested by a child.
Kids ingest magnets more frequently that most parents know and we see it in the Pediatric ER often. One of the sickest patients I’ve ever had ingested just 2 tiny magnets from one of his own toys.
In the most recent PediMom Podcast episode, I sat down with Pediatric Gastroenterologist Dr. Safi Kay to discuss magnet ingestions in kids, how it happens, what we physicians worry about, and how parents can help prevent it.
Join us to learn how to keep your child safe.
Sari M. Kay, M.D.
Dr. Kay is originally from Minnesota. She is the mother of two children. Her medical degree was awarded from Sackler School of Medicine in Tel Aviv and completed her pediatric internship and residency at Jacobi Medical Center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NYC. There she was awarded the position of Chief Pediatric Resident and received multiple teaching awards. She completed her Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. She has authored a chapter on Pediatric Gastroenterology in the Clinical Manual of Emergency Pediatrics as well as in The NASPGHAN Fellows Concise Review of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. Dr. Kay practices at our West Palm Beach and Boca Raton offices.
Learn…
- How kids end up swallowing magnets
- Why they are so dangerous
- When to take your kid to the ER!
Resources
“Toy” Magnets Are Dangerous for Children Important Tips for Prevention and Treatment
