(The Mirror US)
A two-year-old girl from Basildon narrowly escaped death after swallowing a toy made of 14 small magnetic beads, prompting urgent warnings from health professionals and devastated mother Sam McCarthy about the dangers of such products.
Sam recounted the traumatic experience to The Echo, hoping to raise awareness among other parents. Her daughter, Rebecca McCarthy, began vomiting unexpectedly during lunch one day, which led Sam to take her to the hospital. Doctors quickly discovered the cause: Rebecca had ingested a magnetic bead toy, and the tiny magnets had clumped together in her intestines, wrapping around tissue and causing serious internal damage.
The toddler required an emergency two-hour surgery in 2021, during which part of her intestines had to be removed in order to save her life. Though the operation was successful, Rebecca endured months of ongoing health issues following the incident.
“Rebecca’s accident devastated the whole family,” Sam said. “She had months of ongoing health issues. I still find it incredibly painful to think about. The memory will never fade.”
Sam urged parents to be cautious, especially when purchasing toys from unregulated online sellers. “I would hate for any other child to go through what Becca suffered because of buying dangerous toys from sellers on online marketplaces,” she added.
Rebecca’s story is not an isolated case. According to the University of Southampton, around 300 children are hospitalized each year in the UK due to similar incidents. Many of these children undergo emergency surgery, and about one in ten suffer long-term complications.
“These super strong magnets can rip through a child’s guts and leave them with life-changing injuries,” warned Katrina Phillips, chief executive of the Child Accident Prevention Trust. “Take a moment to check who you’re buying from. Don’t assume that, just because you can buy something, it must be safe.”
A study conducted across 66 UK hospitals between May 2022 and April 2023 found that children often ingest toys, household items, or imitation piercings. Pediatric surgeon Professor Nigel Hall emphasized the hidden danger. “Most children who have swallowed a magnet do not show any symptoms, so it is really important that all cases have an X-ray to find out for certain,” he said.
He added, “Having an unplanned emergency operation is a traumatic experience for any child and their family,” and warned that some children may face lifelong medical challenges as a result.
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