The dangers of children swallowing small magnets are coming into focus and for good reason. Canada recently came out with such an announcement.
At Neuromagnetics Australia, we have been well aware of this from the outset. Our Information and Instructions sheet provides the following warning in the Precautions section…
Take extreme care to prevent any strong magnet from being swallowed by an animal or child. This is particularly dangerous if more than one are ingested as it can lead to bowel perforation and the need for surgery if they stick together while transiting through the digestive tract.
The magnetic products under consideration for banning are mainly toys, in particular the shiny round powerful neodymium magnets. These types of magnets are particularly dangerous for the following three reasons, as they…
- Are usually bought in large numbers and individual balls can easily become separated and roll away.
- Look attractive to babies and young children and being smooth and round and very tempting to put in the mouth and very easy to swallow.
- Become particularly dangerous when more than one is swallowed. Being spherical, if two magnets stick together and pinch the intestinal wall, all the force is concentrated to a single point. This will likely cause the intestinal wall to perforate which can be life threatening and require immediate surgery.
While Q Magnets still pose somewhat of a risk, their design mitigates much of the danger.
- As a medical device they are less likely to be lost or left lying around for children to pick up.
- The shape of the magnets and the plastic casing with the relatively sharp edges makes them less tempting for a child to put in their mouth and swallow.
- With a flux plate on one side that shields the magnetic field, there is an immediate 50% reduced chance of them sticking together with the force required to perforate the intestinal wall. In addition, the attractive force would be spread over a flat round area and not concentrated on a small point.
Care should always be taken with your Q Magnets to keep them safely stored. If you have the Q Bag, keep them safely zipped and secured in the bag when not in use to avoid the potential of them being swallowed.
Stay safe with common sense.
