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Warning after Lewes girl, 6, has surgery for swallowing magnets | Warning after Lewes girl, 6, has surgery for swallowing magnets |
(32 minutes later) | |
The girl swallowed 23 magnets over a few days while she was using them to make jewellery for her doll | The girl swallowed 23 magnets over a few days while she was using them to make jewellery for her doll |
A mother has issued a stark warning to parents about dangers of children swallowing magnets after her daughter had to undergo bowel surgery. | A mother has issued a stark warning to parents about dangers of children swallowing magnets after her daughter had to undergo bowel surgery. |
The six-year-old had been playing with magnets at school before taking them home to make jewellery for a doll. | The six-year-old had been playing with magnets at school before taking them home to make jewellery for a doll. |
Over the course of a few days, she swallowed 23 of the strong magnets which ripped through her bowel. | Over the course of a few days, she swallowed 23 of the strong magnets which ripped through her bowel. |
The NHS surgeon who performed the operation said the magnets were "potentially fatal". | |
Her girl's mother, Tanith, said the magnets were shown being used to imitate tongue piercings in TikTok videos. | |
Tanith, from Lewes in East Sussex, said her daughter told her the magnets "felt nice" in her mouth as she played with them. | Tanith, from Lewes in East Sussex, said her daughter told her the magnets "felt nice" in her mouth as she played with them. |
The magnets were so strong they clumped together in her intestine after she swallowed them, Tanith said. | The magnets were so strong they clumped together in her intestine after she swallowed them, Tanith said. |
The girl had used the small ball-shaped magnets to make jewellery for her doll | |
Her daughter first started having stomach pains on 12 September, and had been vomiting for two days when they took her to see their GP. | Her daughter first started having stomach pains on 12 September, and had been vomiting for two days when they took her to see their GP. |
When she did not improve they took her to the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital where she was diagnosed with appendicitis. | When she did not improve they took her to the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital where she was diagnosed with appendicitis. |
However, when surgeons began the operation to remove her appendix they found a string of magnets in her bowel. | However, when surgeons began the operation to remove her appendix they found a string of magnets in her bowel. |
Consultant paediatric surgeon Costa Healy, who performed the operation, said the magnets "can cause life-changing injuries" and are "potentially fatal". | |
"The vast majority of time we get there in time to save them, but if I was a parent with [this type of] magnets in the house, I'd be getting rid of them," he said. | |
The swallowed magnets clumped together in the girl's bowel, her mother said | |
The girl was discharged on Monday and is now recovering at home. | |
"She's been through major surgery and it's been overwhelming for her, and she's got a scar about 10cm long," her mother said. | "She's been through major surgery and it's been overwhelming for her, and she's got a scar about 10cm long," her mother said. |
"It could have been much worse - there's no permanent damage. We were looking at the possibility of her needing to have a stoma." | "It could have been much worse - there's no permanent damage. We were looking at the possibility of her needing to have a stoma." |
She said the family had found more magnets in her daughter's bedroom. | She said the family had found more magnets in her daughter's bedroom. |
"I want to warn parents about the dangers of their children playing with magnets. | "I want to warn parents about the dangers of their children playing with magnets. |
"I want to reinforce how dangerous these magnets really are." | "I want to reinforce how dangerous these magnets really are." |
Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk. | Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk. |
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