Ingestion of magnets in children: a growing concern

Siddaiah-Subramanya, Manjunath B; Borzi, Peter

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2009.tb02291.x

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To the Editor: Accidental ingestion of foreign bodies is common in children. Most pass through the gastrointestinal tract spontaneously,1 but some, such as magnets and batteries, can cause serious problems. We treated three children, aged 4–11 years, who ingested magnets that caused multiple bowel perforations.

Mater Children’s Hospital, Brisbane, QLD.

Correspondence: manjunathbss9@yahoo.com

1. Nagaraj HS, Sunil I. Multiple foreign body ingestion and ileal perforation. Pediatr Surg Int 2005; 21: 718-720.
2. Uyemura MC. Foreign body ingestion in children. Am Fam Physician 2005; 72: 287-291.
3. Arana A, Hauser B, Hachimi-Idrissi S, Vandenplas Y. Management of ingested foreign bodies in childhood and review of the literature. Eur J Pediatr 2001; 160: 468-472.
4. Webb WA. Management of foreign bodies of the upper gastrointestinal tract: update. Gastrointest Endosc 1995; 41: 39-51.
5. Nandi P, Ong GB. Foreign body in the esophagus: review of 2394 cases. Br J Surg 1978; 65: 5-9.

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