The following is a new safety warning from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) website provided by Adam K. Levin, Esquire, with the law firm of Liever, Hyman & Potter, P.C., in Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania.
High-powered magnets are a safety risk to children – toddler through teen. An increasing number of incidents reported to the CPSC indicate that children are swallowing these magnets and the injuries are serious according to the CPSC Safety Education Center. When two or more magnets are swallowed, they attract to each other internally. Many incidents have resulted in surgeries to remove the magnets. When a magnet has to be removed surgically, it also can require repairing the child’s damaged stomach and intestines.
If you suspect magnets have been swallowed:
- Seek immediate medical attention
- Medical symptoms to watch for are: abdominal pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
- In X-rays, multiple magnetic pieces may appear as a single object.
These high-powered magnets are not the magnets off your grandparent’s refrigerator door. They are up to eight times stronger than magnets that are used in toys.
Liever, Hyman & Potter, P.C., serves the injured, and their families, in Reading, PA, Pottsville, PA, and throughout Eastern and Central Pennsylvania. The lawyers there handle personal injury claims, including claims for injuries or death caused by unsafe, defective and hazardous products.