Why would kids swallow magnets?
Sometimes they swallow them because they look like candy, Oestreich says. Some older kids swallow them on dares. One child, he says, put magnets on his tongue to simulate piercing and swallowed them. Q: How do you know if your child has swallowed a magnet? A: It isn’t easy to tell until an X-ray is taken. The symptoms are banal, like a stomach ache or flu-like symptoms, Oestreich says. Many older children (age 5 to about 12) won’t tell anyone that they’ve swallowed a magnet because they’re embarrassed. Q: So what should parents do? A: The options are to remove the toys altogether or increase your supervision, which is difficult to do, Oestreich says. If your child complains of a bellyache or vomits, or complains of a strange ache, go directly to a doctor. Q: Why is lead in toys a problem? A: Lead is a neurotoxin that can cause brain and central nervous system problems and anemia, says Carl Baum, a pediatrics professor at Yale School of Medicine. At very high levels it can kill. Q: How
