Mum's warning about toy set after son accidentally swallows 13 magnets

A US mum has spoken out about the dangers on a popular magnetic toy set after her son managed to swallow 13 of the small magnets inside a tile.

Jennifer White shared her horrifying experience on Facebook after her 4-year-old son was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery, which saw part of his colon and intestines removed, due to the damaged caused by the magnets he swallowed.

“Please keep him in your prayers and thoughts ❤️ all the good vibes and juju are needed,” she asked her followers on Facebook.

“We are headed to Children’s hospital in Milwaukee. Beck and Mom are taking an ambulance and Dad’s meeting us there. Beck broke open a magnetic toy and has 13 tiny magnets in him. I feel guilty AF and horrible posting this but I don’t want another child to go through this.”

“If you have little ones or chewers these are dangerous and we’re removing them from our home. Dogs could also break these open too.”

She then revealed the outcome of Beck’s surgery in an update: “He has finished with surgery they had to remove part of his colon, intestines and appendix.

“The magnets created holes and infection in his intestines. He has to stay in Children’s for at least 3-4 days. They need to restart his bowels and watching the infection. He is high risk still and please keep him in your thoughts and prayers thank you 🙏.”

The White family has not named the toy that caused the injury outright, but many believe them to be Magformers Magnetic Building Blocks.

The post was immediately picked up by concerned parents and well-wishers, with over 312,000 shares since it was shared on December 27.

Health Risk

When the magnets are swallowed, they become lodged in different part of the body. But then they can pull towards one another with enough force to cause serious and life-threatening damage to the digestive system.

Symptoms of ingesting the objects include abdominal pain, vomiting and fever. Health officials say it is crucial parents be aware of the internal damage these magnets can cause.

Got a story tip? Send it to tips@oath.com

Want more lifestyle and celebrity news? Follow Yahoo Lifestyle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Or sign up to our daily newsletter here.