4-Year-Old Swallows 13 Tiny Magnets From Toy, Needed Surgery

WISCONSIN -- A 4-year-old boy from Wisconsin had to have surgery after his mother said he opened a magnetic toy he got for Christmas and swallowed 13 tiny magnets. He is currently in recovery, his parents say.

According to a WTMJ report, 4-year-old Beck White had to have part of his colon and intestine removed after swallowing magnets that got lodged in his digestive system.

"He started to vomit a very dark color. It looked like coffee grounds. At that point I knew something was very wrong," mother Jennifer White was quoted as saying in the WTMJ report.

According to White, it appeared that her son Beck swallowed tiny magnets from a magformer-type toy. The toys are plastic shapes with embedded magnets that are used to form larger geometric shapes. The individual pieces can be broken apart to expose magnets that are equivalent to the size of a small vitamin or pill, and are about double the size of a grain of rice. The specific brand of the toy in this story has not been confirmed.

According to a Facebook post she wrote two days after Christmas, the family went to Children's Hospital. After X-rays were done, Beck's family learned that 13 tiny magnets were scattered in his digestive system. The magnets caused tears in his intestines, and were becoming infected. Beck had to undergo surgery.

"He has finished with surgery they had to remove part of his colon, intestines and appendix," other Jennifer White said on Facebook. "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 [are] watching the infection. He is high risk still, and please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you!"

According to WebMD, tiny magnets like those swallowed by Beck White pose a serious risk if they are swallowed. "Unlike foreign bodies that can pass through the body with relatively little trouble, magnets can seriously damage the stomach or intestine by attracting each other through the lining of different loops of intestine. Ultimately, the magnets could cause a lack of blood flow in the lining and puncture the lining of the intestine."

Anyone who swallows magnets should seek immediate medical help, according to WebMD. Treatment often includes surgery to avoid more serious health conditions.

Patch Photo by Scott Anderson NOTE: Toy pictured in top photo is similar to, but not actual toy mentioned in article.