The magnets are one of the everyday objects that pose a risk for children, surely looking around us, at home, we will find magnets as part of toys, ornaments, key chains, chains ... Today we are going to see how to avoid the danger of magnets in children.
And, although most objects accidentally swallowed by children usually end up being expelled by the digestive system itself, the situation is complicated when it comes to magnets. It is usually small magnets, but that they can cause serious damage to the child's digestive tract, especially if more than one is swallowed, it will cause health complications, leading to extreme death.
What happens if several magnets join in the digestive system is that they imprison tissue, making blood supply difficult, causing a fistula. If they are powerful magnets, the tissue trapped between them can end up perforated. That is why abdominal surgery is necessary in these cases.
One of the objects with which we must take more care are magnetic toys, since if young children find a way to release the magnets, or these are floors or it is an old toy, which does not follow the rules or is defective , will soon take them to your mouth.
Pediatricians warn of increased magnet intake due to the increasing number of games that contain it. In the United States, over 3,000 children have been treated in the Emergency Department for five years because they swallowed magnets. Due to these risks, in some countries some toys and objects with magnets have been banned and removed from the market.
We, at home, What can we do to avoid the danger of magnets in children?
Keep products with small magnets out of the reach of children. Eye to the fridge magnets, key chains, bracelets ...
In the case of toys that include magnets, read the instructions and warnings that the manufacturers detail in the boxes.
Do not give your children toys not suitable for their age. Appropriate years are indicated on the packaging.
Watch your children while they play.
Buy toys at trusted stores, that are homologated.
Check old toys and remove defective ones.
Avoid buying packages of magnets that include many of those pieces, as it will not be easy to detect if any are lost.
Take the habit of picking up the toys after playing with them, so that there are no pieces with loose magnets on the floor.
Older children can be explained the risks that magnets entail, so that they are aware.
Following these Tips to avoid the dangers of magnets in children, can continue having fun without risks. Finally, remember: if we believe that the child has swallowed a magnet or more than one magnet, we must go immediately to the hospital emergency department.
