Magnets safety
What are the risks?
Super strong magnets can rip through a child’s gut if they swallow them, causing life-threatening injuries. One eight-year-old boy died after swallowing magnets.
The magnets stick together inside the body and cut off the blood supply, causing tissue to die.
Children may need complex surgery to remove the magnets and some experience life-changing internal injuries.
For example, a one-year-old baby who swallowed six small magnets needed seven hours of emergency surgery and was left with a stoma bag.
Children of all ages are at risk – from babies and toddlers to tweens and teens.
Download our free poster to spread the message about the dangers of magnets.
Five top tips for magnet safety
Avoid
Avoid small, loose magnets if you have small children.
Buy
Only buy magnets from reputable retailers or brand names you know.
Beware
If buying magnets from overseas sellers on online marketplaces – there’s no way of knowing if they’re safe.
Teach
Teach older children to never put magnets in their mouths.
Act
If you think your child may have swallowed magnets, go straight to A&E or call an ambulance.
How big is the problem?
Pioneering research by NHS doctors has revealed that, in a single year, over 300 children were admitted to A&E after swallowing magnets and 1 in 10 needed life-saving surgery.
The more magnets a child had swallowed, the greater the danger.
Studies in Europe and America have shown that increasing numbers of children are swallowing magnets. Doctors worry we are seeing the same increase here in the UK.
Examples of magnetic products that have been recalled as they are unsafe
Why are dangerous magnets on sale?
We tend to think: If I can buy it, it must be safe. Sadly, that’s simply not true.
While there are legal limits for magnetic toys, unless you buy a trusted brand name or from a reputable retailer, you cannot be sure the magnets are safe.
Watch out for cheap copies of popular toys. They may not be made to UK safety standards. Strong magnets may be loose or toys may break exposing strong magnets.
And magnets are found in all sorts of products, not just toys for children. For example, jewellery-making kits, dartboards, fridge magnets, puzzles and board games, fidget toys, office desk toys and stress relief gadgets.
Shockingly, super strong magnets can be 17 times stronger than UK safety limits. We’ve found magnets with a flux of 850 when the limit is 50.
Online marketplaces aren’t yet required to vet the safety of the products sold on their platforms.
How do these accidents happen?
Young children aren’t being ‘naughty’ when they swallow magnets. It happens by accident.
And it’s not because the adults around them aren’t looking after them properly either. Accidents can happen quickly, even when you’re nearby.
Younger children can mistake magnets for brightly coloured sweets, or they can be curious what they feel like on their tongue.
Older children may want to imitate a tongue piercing. Perhaps copying something they’ve seen in the playground or on social media.
Magnets can look like sweets
Younger children
Small children typically swallow:
- Magnets they have found from older children’s playthings
- Easily-accessible magnets from toys not made to UK safety standards
- Magnets that have fallen out of broken toys
⚠️ Avoid small, loose magnets if you have small children.
⚠️ Keep older children’s magnetic toys away from little children and store them in safe places.
Older children
Many teens and tweens have tried to create a fake tongue piercing using two magnetic balls and accidentally swallowed them.
Other children have popped magnets in their mouth to hold them or free up their hands and then accidentally swallowed them.
⚠️ Talk to older children about the dangers of putting magnets in or near their mouths.
⚠️ Encourage them to keep magnets out of reach of any younger siblings.
It happened to us…
She thought they were sweets
Two-year-old Rebecca McCarthy was left fighting for her life after she swallowed 14 brightly coloured tiny magnetic balls in 2021.
The toddler endured over 2 hours of surgery, where doctors had to temporarily remove her intestines to reach the balls that had attracted together and buried deep into her tissue.
Learn more
“They burned holes in the intestines. Whenever they opened him up some of his intestines already leaked out.”
Mum of three-year-old who had part of his intestine removed after swallowing 29 of his older brother’s magnets
“It has been a truly horrific experience. We didn’t think this could have ever happen to us. These tiny magnetic balls have caused such damage.”
Mum of 11-year-old who had five inches of his bowel removed after trying to create a magnetic piercing
“We had no idea she’d swallowed some of them until she started crying and pointing at her tummy four days later.”
Dad of two-year-old who swallowed magnets belonging to an older sibling
“Once inside the body, the magnets connect to each other with the organ tissue / lining being pinched in between, eventually burning a hole in it. Luckily my daughter told me she had swallowed them, so we were able to act quickly.”
Mum of four-year-old who accidentally swallowed two magnets and required emergency surgery
“It took a long time for Lilly to recover and I think she’s still suffering from the effects of it. She struggles to go to the toilet and her doctor suspects it’s because of a build-up of scar tissue, which she may need further surgery to remove.”
Mum of seven-year-old who had to have major surgery to stitch up three holes in her bowel
Take care when buying online
Many cheap magnets from unknown sellers on online marketplaces come from abroad and have not been safety tested. The magnetic strength may be much higher than the legal limit in UK toy safety standards.
So, please take care when shopping at marketplaces online (think AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Groupon, Joom, OnBuy, Shein, Temu, TikTok Shop and Wish).
- Buy magnetic products from brand names you know. If you’ve never heard of the seller and the price is really tempting, it could be dangerous.
- Watch out for cheap copies of popular magnetic toys. They may not be made to UK safety standards.
- Check if the magnetic toy or novelty has been removed from sale because it’s unsafe. Visit gov.uk for a list of recalled products. Type ‘magnets’ into the search bar.
Be extra careful for children under 3
Babies and toddlers are naturally curious and like to put things in their mouths. It’s a developmental stage they all go through.
They may also struggle to tell you if they have swallowed something.
Thet’s why we recommend you:
- Shop with reputable retailers and check that toys are age appropriate.
- Avoid letting small children play with small, loose magnets. Many accidents happen when small children swallow tiny magnetic balls.
- Keep older children’s magnets away from little children and store them in safe places.
- Regularly check that magnets are securely embedded in the toy.
- Dispose of toys if their magnets become loose.
More FAQs
If you think a child has swallowed magnets act fast.
Take them straight to A&E or phone 999 for an ambulance. Don’t delay, trust your instincts.
There may be no symptoms to warn you a child has swallowed magnets, so don’t wait for them to show. By the time symptoms start to show, more damage has likely been done.
Symptoms can include stomach pain and tenderness, nausea or vomiting, and not being able to keep down fluids. You may suspect a stomach bug or appendicitis.
Children can find magnets in:
No. Quality toys, built to the right standard, that are age-appropriate and used according to the instructions, should be safe for children to play with.
Cheap copycats, often from online marketplaces, may not meet our safety standards. The magnets could be easily accessible or have a much higher strength than is safe for a child’s toy.
That’s why we recommend buying from reputable retailers where possible, and check who and where you are buying from when shopping online.
Avoid small magnets if you have children under 3 in the house.
Toys bought for older children can be dangerous for little children to play with too.
Related pages
Toddler left fighting for life after swallowing magnets
Two-year-old Rebecca McCarthy was left fighting for her life after she swallowed 14 brightly coloured tiny magnetic balls.
Doctors warn of magnetic toy dangers
Parents are being warned against buying toys containing magnets after new data revealed that hundreds of children have been hospitalised from swallowing them.
