Children Swallowing Small Magnets Remains a Global Health Problem: Study

Since a ban on the use of high-powered magnets as toys was overturned in the U.S. in 2016, there has been a 444% annual increase in the number of injuries caused by children swallowing magnets.

New research suggests that problems linked to children swallowing high-powered magnets remains a global concern, despite regulations intended to limit their sale and use.

The findings were published in the journal Injury Prevention on May 20, revealing that thousands of young children around the world continue to ingest small magnets, highlighting the need for stronger safety standards and greater public awareness.

Small, high-powered magnets are commonly used in household products such as toys, desk gadgets, remote controls and kitchen appliances. Although the products are often marketed as educational tools or novelty items, their compact size and strong magnetic force pose serious risks when left within reach of young children.

While a single magnet may pass through the digestive system without harm after it is swallowed, if multiple magnets are ingested, or a magnet combined with another metal object, they may attract each other across intestinal walls, leading to blockages, perforations and other life-threatening injuries. In many cases, these childhood magnet injuries result in the need for emergency surgery, and can cause devastating damage.

In the new study, researchers at UC Davis Health in Sacramento, California, looked at how different countries regulate magnets and compared those rules to the number of children swallowing magnets. Their goal was to see which types of safety policies are most effective at reducing these dangerous incidents.

The research team, led by Javeria Khader, reviewed 96 studies published between 2002 and 2024 on the frequency and medical outcomes of magnet ingestion in children under 18. They also conducted a global search for policies on magnet production, sales and use.

Of the studies reviewed, 44 were from Asia and the Middle East, 28 from North America (including Mexico), 11 from Europe, and 13 from Chile, Australia, Egypt and Tunisia.

The findings revealed that the number of reported incidents ranged from one to 23,756, with the U.S. having the highest number of cases. Sequential studies showed an increasing trend in incidence over time in both the U.S. and China. Researchers noted that this rise may reflect either a true increase or improvements in reporting accuracy.

Children affected were typically between 2 and 8 years old, with boys accounting for 20% to 86% of cases. Many required hospitalization, surgery or other medical interventions. Most incidents occurred in urban areas, and magnets were commonly found at home, daycare centers or in school and office supplies.

Policy Gaps and Consequences

The policy search identified only 10 relevant policies: two from Canada and the United States, three from the European Union, the United Kingdom and France, and one each from the UAE, Taiwan, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Although the policies varied in intent and wording, complete bans on magnets most likely for children to ingest were linked to fewer cases.

For example, the U.S. introduced regulations banning high-powered magnet toys for children in 2014. However, these magnet regulations were overturned two years later, after which new cases rose by 444% annually. Although new safety standards for high-powered magnets were adopted in 2022, they do not apply to toys marketed for children under 14, the most at-risk group.

The data highlights magnet ingestion as a global issue, with many countries lacking policies limiting access to magnets despite evidence showing that these policies reduce rates of magnet ingestion.

“Every geographic area has different availability of products and types of restrictions in place, yet the problem remains the same: If magnets are accessible to children, some children will inevitably ingest them, leading to a wide range of severe consequences,” Khader concluded.

In the U.S., magnet set recalls remain prevalent. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued numerous warnings in recent years over products violating federal magnet safety standards. In particular, the CPSC remains concerned about various toy products, such as magnetic chess sets and others.