Rare Earth Magnets Pose Threat To Children 284
Hugh Pickens writes writes "Many of today's toys contain rare-earth magnets which are much more powerful than the magnets of yesteryear and the magnets pose a serious threat to children when more than one is ingested because as the magnets attract one another they can cause a range of serious injuries, including holes through internal organs, blood poisoning and death (PDF). Braden Eberle, 4, swallowed two tiny magnets from his older brother's construction kit on two successive days last spring and his mother's first reaction was that the magnet would pass through her son's system without a problem. "People swallow pennies of the same size every day," said Jill Eberle. "They're smaller than an eraser." But next morning, with Braden still in pain, the family's doctor told them to go straight to the emergency room where an X-ray revealed two magnets were stuck together. "They were attracted to each other with the wall of each segment they were in stuck together," said Dr. Sanjeev Dutta, the pediatric surgeon at Good Samaritan Hospital who would operate on Braden later that day. "Because they were so powerful, the wall of the intestine was getting squeezed, squeezed, squeezed, and then it just necrosed, or kind of rotted away, and created a hole between the two." The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says at least 33 children have been injured from ingesting magnets (PDF) with a 20 month-old dying, and at least 19 other children requiring surgery."
Rare Earth Magnets (Score:5, Funny)
So, ask for them to be done medium?
Re:You mean like the warnings? (Score:5, Funny)
I think the key problem here is that the children don't have warning labels attached. I propose that in future hospitals tattoo babies shortly after, or if possible before, birth with something along the lines of "WARNING: child may do dangerous things". Billions of other warning labels would then be unnecessary.
Maybe it's just me, but... (Score:4, Funny)
I think this somehow makes neodymium magnets seem even cooler. They've killed children... not by poisoning them, but by magnetism alone.
Re:News for nerds? (Score:5, Funny)
Not sure this news item posted on the right web site. Don't you think this is mission creep, timothy?
While I understand the incredulity of a nerd/geek having kids, there is yet a one-word simple answer... MAGNETS!
Re:Parents (Score:2, Funny)
Yeah, that's what the catholic church keeps repeating, too.
Re:Why are you surprised? (Score:5, Funny)
Note that is of course also an issue for pets.
Absolutely. Have people learned nothing from the tale of the old woman who swallowed a fly? Ponies should come with warning labels.
Re:Parents (Score:5, Funny)
My three year old even knows that, but when the new baby arrived, she started imitating all kinds of stuff. That meant also putting this in her mouth whenever we were (yes) looking. Still, I agree with you here. I never leave small items around (or magnets for that matter) where the kids can get them.
Btw, the button 'quote parent' seemed really appropriate here ;)
They're only dangerous when they stick together. (Score:5, Funny)
Just tell your infant to only swallow one at a time. Problem solved!
Simple Solution, Duh. (Score:5, Funny)
Just heat the child up to above the Curie temperature of the magnets and they will fall right off!
Re:In toys? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:You mean like the warnings? (Score:5, Funny)
Check the Consumer Protection Agency. There might be a recall on your kid.
Re:And Air is bad if you breath it too much (Score:5, Funny)
Do you have children? If so have you managed to watch them every second of their lives.
We don't let them out of their locked cages that often.
Re:Why are you surprised? (Score:5, Funny)
No, the problem is that magnets are delicious.
Re:In toys? (Score:5, Funny)
I believe chilli or chilli oil when used judiciously can teach children not to put just anything into their mouths, and to obey their parents when told to not put stuff in their mouths.
Does that work for Thai children too, or does it have the opposite effect?