An x-ray shows the two magnetic balls in Karen Teague's daughter. Photo: supplied
It took a few minutes for Karen Teague to get out of her daughter that she had swallowed the two ends of magnet jewellery about 30 minutes apart.
Her then 11-year-old daughter India had been at a sleepover party in 2021 and called her mum to pick her up earlier due to abdominal pain.
"'Well, we're going in for major abdominal surgery,'" Teague responded to her daughter, predicting what was about to happen.
"When I got that information that she had swallowed [the magnets] and a reasonable time apart I knew the clock was ticking."
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) issued a warning to parents about magnetic jewelry and magnetic fidget toys like what Teague's daughter swallowed. The fidget toy is made up of hundreds of tiny magnetic balls that you can create pull apart or make shapes with.
Fidget toys made from small magnetic balls. Photo: Screenshop/Amazon
The warning comes off the back of a recent article on RNZ that detailed five kids in the Czech Republic who swallowed magnets inspired by a TikTok "piercing challenge." Two of the children underwent acute surgeries to remove the magnets, which can join together in the body.
"They may pull the stomach and the intestine towards each other and damage them or even cause perforation or inflammation," says the Czech hospital where the children were treated.
That was the case for Teague's daughter, who was likely hours away from death if her mum didn't understand the dangers. Teague, who lives in Auckland, first called Healthline, who advised her to go straight to the nearest accident and emergency. Doctors there immediately referred them to Starship.
By 1:30pm, Teague's daughter went in for surgery to remove the magnets. It was meant to last one hour, but because the magnets had moved through her digestive system since the x-ray, the damage was far worse than anticipated. Surgery lasted four hours.
"The magnet had perforated her whole bowel and stomach."
"It was just horrendous. I thought she had died and that is why no one was talking to me."
Karen Teague's daughter India recovers from abdominal surgery. Photo: supplied
The small magnetic balls that India swallowed looked like colourful cake decorations, said Teague. The fidget toys are often advertised as sensory toys or desk toys that can relieve stress by running your fingers through them or makeing various shapes with them. They can still be bought from online retails for a few dollars.
One of the trends on TikTok encourages kids and teens to create the illusion of having lip, nose or tongue piercings using high powered magnets, according to Ian Caplin, Business Specialist at MBIE. Instead of a piecing, the jewellery stays put by a magnet.
"If someone swallows or inhales just two of these magnets, serious harm could occur, and may result in them needing surgery."
"We know of several hospitalisations overseas of children who have swallowed these, and we know of cases happening in New Zealand in the past."
A magnetic nose ring. Photo: Screenshop/Amazon
The magnets are subject to an unsafe goods notice in New Zealand and are currently banned from being sold here. However, overseas online retailers might still sell and ship the products to New Zealanders.
If New Zealanders find these banned magnetic items being sold in New Zealand either online or in stores they are encouraged to report it.
Parents who suspect their child has swallowed magnets should head straight to their nearest emergency department and inform the reception as soon as they get there.
Teague says she was never told that magnets would be an issue but because she had an interest in medicine and works with animals, she imagined the internal damage they could cause.
"You give your kids stranger danger, don't eat this or that but you don't say 'Don't eat magnets.'"