Swallowing Magnet Balls Has Sent Hundreds to Hospital, Surgery: Report

Over the last three years, hundreds of children have been hospitalized because their digestive tracts were twisted into knots after swallowing small magnetic balls that are used in adult desk toy sets, such as Buckyballs and Zen Magnets.  However, the manufacturers of some of these products are fighting attempts by U.S. regulators to have the toys recalled.

In recent months, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has been targeting the toys, which feature rare earth magnets that can be formed into various shapes, amid growing concerns about the damage they can cause if one or more of the small balls are swallowed.

According to a report by the New York Times, an estimated 1,700 incidents have occurred since January 2009, where the powerful magnets were swallowed, resulting in the need for treatment in an emergency room. In many of the cases, individuals required surgery to have the magnets removed after they attracted inside the body.

Although the manufacturers of products like Buckyballs, Buckycubes, Zen Magnets, Nanospheres and other magnet ball toys maintain that they are designed for adults and contain a number of warnings about the risk of swallowing them, children continue to suffer serious injuries after putting the balls in their mouths and swallowing them.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has requested that 13 manufacturers of the products issue voluntary recalls and stop sales. While 11 companies have complied, the regulatory agency has filed rare administrative complaints against two manufacturers, seeking to issue an involuntary Buckyball recall and Zen Magnets recall.

The administrative complaints are a way for the CPSC to make a mandatory recall of a dangerous product, and this is the first time in 11 years the regulatory agency has had to take such action in an effort to protect consumers. However, the makers of Buckyballs indicate that it is a sign of the CPSC run amuck.

In the New York Times article, the makers of Buckyballs indicate that they have given up on working with the commission to prevent children from being injured and say that the commission’s efforts to prevent child intestinal perforations and possibly deaths is an overreach of government. The manufacturers suggest that even if the warnings may not be working, they should be allowed to continue to sell their products. They also point out that there are other dangerous products, like all-terrain vehicles, that also harm many children and have not been the target of such severe enforcement action.

In a report published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in June 2012, the risk of serious injuries from magnet toys was highlighted, explaining that the magnets may attract to one another across the intestinal wall, causing severe internal damage, such as obstructions and perforations.  It is often necessary to remove the magnets surgically, which can result in further damage to the child’s stomach or intestines.