Foreign Body Ingestions
High-Powered Magnets
Ingestion of high-powered, rare earth magnets (or neodymium magnets) represents a growing child health safety threat. About half of all children who swallow these super strong magnets will require surgery for removal, and roughly a one-third will suffer bowel perforations. Others will suffer severe injury with life-long complications. Current safety standards, labeling requirements and voluntary warnings are not sufficient to protect children from the harm associated with ingesting these dangerous high-powered magnets. NASPGHAN has an important role to play in educating the public, including elected officials, as well as health care professionals about the hazards that rare earth magnets pose to children.
NASPGHAN members are urged to report magnet ingestions, including past cases, to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) at http://www.cpsc.gov/. HIPAA permits covered entities to disclose protected health information without patient authorization to a public health authority authorized by law to receive such information for the purpose of public health surveillance and investigations. Like the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CPSC is a public health authority.
International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization Annual Meeting
February 26 - March 1, 2013, Arlington, VA
Features session on Pediatric Ingestion Hazards
NASPGHAN Letter to Consumer Product Safety Commission on Magnet Safety and Proposed Rule - November 18, 2012
NASPGHAN Press Release on Magnet Ingestion Survey - October 23, 2012
US PIRG Press Release on 2012 Trouble in Toyland Report - November 20, 2012
Case Reporting Worksheet
NASPGHAN Issue Brief – Preventing Magnet Ingestions by Children - June 2012
NASPGHAN Statement Supporting the Consumer Products Safety Commission Action on High Powered Magnets - July 25, 2012
Consumer Advocates and Doctors Applaud CPSC’s Effort to Protect Children from Hazardous High Powered Magnets - July 25, 2012
Consumer Product Safety Commission Press Release - July 25, 2012
Ingestion of high-powered, rare earth magnets (or neodymium magnets) represents a growing child health safety threat. About half of all children who swallow these super strong magnets will require surgery for removal, and roughly a one-third will suffer bowel perforations. Others will suffer severe injury with life-long complications. Current safety standards, labeling requirements and voluntary warnings are not sufficient to protect children from the harm associated with ingesting these dangerous high-powered magnets. NASPGHAN has an important role to play in educating the public, including elected officials, as well as health care professionals about the hazards that rare earth magnets pose to children.
NASPGHAN members are urged to report magnet ingestions, including past cases, to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) at http://www.cpsc.gov/. HIPAA permits covered entities to disclose protected health information without patient authorization to a public health authority authorized by law to receive such information for the purpose of public health surveillance and investigations. Like the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CPSC is a public health authority.
International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization Annual Meeting
February 26 - March 1, 2013, Arlington, VA
Features session on Pediatric Ingestion Hazards
NASPGHAN Letter to Consumer Product Safety Commission on Magnet Safety and Proposed Rule - November 18, 2012
NASPGHAN Press Release on Magnet Ingestion Survey - October 23, 2012
US PIRG Press Release on 2012 Trouble in Toyland Report - November 20, 2012
Case Reporting Worksheet
NASPGHAN Issue Brief – Preventing Magnet Ingestions by Children - June 2012 NASPGHAN Statement Supporting the Consumer Products Safety Commission Action on High Powered Magnets - July 25, 2012
Consumer Advocates and Doctors Applaud CPSC’s Effort to Protect Children from Hazardous High Powered Magnets - July 25, 2012Consumer Product Safety Commission Press Release - July 25, 2012