Just goes to show, boys and cows are made differently.  We FEED cows
magnets to catch all the hardware they pick up in the pasture.  It just
stays in one of the cow's stomachs harmlessly instead of moving on to
another one where it can cause great damage.  Ruth



At 4:23 PM -0500 12/7/06, [log in to unmask] wrote:
Gastrointestinal Injuries from Magnet Ingestion in Children --- United
States, 2003--2006

Ingestion of nonfood objects, inadvertently or intentionally, is common
among young children and also occurs with older children and adolescents
(<http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5142a1.htm>1--3). Unless the
objects are large or sharp, they usually pass through a child's digestive
system without health consequences. However, the Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) has become aware of toy products containing small,
powerful rare-earth magnets* that pose unique health hazards to children
(4,5). Since 2003, CPSC staff members have identified one death resulting
from ingestion of these magnets and 19 other cases of injuries requiring
gastrointestinal surgery. This report describes three selected cases and
summarizes the 20 cases of magnet ingestion identified by CPSC that
occurred during 2003--2006. Caregivers should keep small magnets away from
young children and be aware of the unique risks (e.g., volvulus and bowel
perforation)
(<http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5548a3.htm?s_cid=mm5548a3_e#fig1>Figure
1) that magnets pose if ingested. When evaluating children who have
ingested objects, health-care providers should be aware of potential
complications if magnets might be involved.
-- 
Ruth Barton
[log in to unmask]
Dummerston, VT

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