Hundreds of children admitted to A&E in one year after swallowing magnets - study

Credit: Getty/Andrey Danilovich

By Ben Mitchell, PA Media

Around 300 children were admitted to A&E in the UK in a single year after swallowing magnets, including some following social media trends to imitate tongue piercings, according to research.

The study by the University of Southampton found that one in 10 of those admitted required life-saving operations after swallowing magnets found in toys ranging from magnetic ball sets to fake piercings, as well as other household objects.