A 23-month-old boy swallowed 33 magnets used for toys, causing a dangerous situation that could lead to serious complications, including intestinal perforation. After confirming this with an abdominal X-ray and CT scan, physicians at Konyang University Hospital performed emergency surgery to remove the magnets.
According to Konyang University Hospital in Daejeon on Wednesday, a parent visited the hospital after seeing her child with a magnetic toy in his hand and making sounds like something was stuck in his throat. After being told that the child may have swallowed the magnets, doctors performed an abdominal X-ray and CT scan, which showed a tangle of magnets in the small intestine. The magnets were stuck together inside the organ, likely causing a fistula.
Professor Yeon Hee-jin of the Department of Pediatric Surgery performed emergency surgery to remove the magnets and resect and suture the small intestine with the fistula. The child is recovering quickly and is expected to be discharged from the hospital.
"When multiple magnets are swallowed, they compress various parts of the intestine simultaneously or stick firmly to each other through the intestinal wall, damaging the intestine caught in between,” Professor Yeon said. “This can cause intestinal perforation or a fistula that connects intestines, resulting in symptoms, including abdominal pain, fever, peritonitis, and often requiring surgery.”
There are also many cases of children swallowing lithium coin batteries and getting them stuck in their esophagus.
“Coin batteries are often lodged in the esophagus,” Yeon said. “If it gets stuck in the esophagus, the current from the battery can cause electrical burns, which can lead to a fistula between the airway and the esophagus. In severe cases, a fistula between the aorta and the esophagus, which can be life-threatening,” she warned. “Complications from coin batteries can develop quickly and take a long time to recover, so you must be very careful.”
Swallowing and aspirating foreign objects is not uncommon.
According to the “Analysis of Child Safety Accident Trends in 2023,” released by the Korea Consumer Agency, about 2,000 cases of foreign object swallowing and aspiration in children occur yearly, 82.2 percent of which are concentrated in the one-to-six-year-old age group. Toys were the most common cause (46.3 percent).
Accidents involving children swallowing various foreign objects, including magnets, batteries, water beads, and sharp objects, are recurring yearly. Still, it is difficult to prevent them through parental caution alone,” Professor Yeon said. “Particularly for foreign objects that cause a reaction in the body or change in size, even a tiny size can be life-threatening and require special attention.”
"Most foreign objects are naturally excreted in the feces, but magnets, batteries, water beads, sharp objects, and others can cause intestinal damage or serious complications," Yeon said. "If you suspect your child has swallowed a foreign object, you should visit a hospital for an accurate examination."