Parents warned over popular children's toy after girl hospitalised

An X-ray of a seven-year-old after swallowing three magnetic balls. In the past year, five recalls have been issued for similar products by the ACCC. Photo / Shae Beplate

Parents are being warned about the dangers of a popular magnetic toy after another young girl in Australia was hospitalised.

Magnetic balls have been the subject of repeated warnings from product safety watch dogs in Australia and overseas for the past several years.

However, recently another child – this time a four-year-old girl from Sydney's west – was rushed to hospital after swallowing eight of the balls, Nine News reported.

Luckily, an X-ray revealed the balls were still in the girl's stomach and could be removed using a camera. If they had moved into her bowel, or separated, the result could have been deadly.

In January 2020, a 7-year-old was rushed to hospital after ingesting five of the balls and similarly narrowly escaped more serious medical complications.

An X-ray of a seven-year-old after swallowing three magnetic balls. In the past year, five recalls have been issued for similar products by the ACCC. Photo / Shae Beplate

The small, round and often colourful balls are officially banned in Australian stores, however, unknowing parents can still access them online or from unverified retailers on shore.

On Amazon.com a seemingly identical product is marketed as a "high-quality desktop toy designed to help you stay focused and stylish at work, classroom and home".

Reports of ingesting the magnets are also common in the US, where they are not subject to bans. In one case, a 2-year-old boy swallowed five of the balls, which perforated his small intestine, requiring most of it to be removed.

The surgery left the boy needing to be fed through a tube in his chest and requiring an ostomy bag, according to US-based not for profit Consumer Reports.

The small, round and often colourful balls are officially banned in Australian stores, however, unknowing parents can still access them online or from unverified retailers on shore. Photo / ACCC

In the past year, five recalls have been issued for magnetic ball products that exceed the maximum strength allowed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

"If a child swallows a number of magnets, the magnets can lock together through the walls of the intestines and cause perforations and blockages. Urgent surgery is required to remove the magnets in order to avoid serious medical complications or death," the ACCC website states.

The most recent recall was from February last year in which the balls were sold by a number of vendors at Paddy's and Parklea markets in Sydney.