Paediatric magnet ingestion persists worldwide despite increasing regulatory policies

Paediatric magnet ingestion can have devastating consequences. To minimise this risk, many countries have policies to reduce exposure. This study seeks to summarise global reports of paediatric magnet ingestion and stringency of corresponding national policies.

A comprehensive literature search was conducted in English and Spanish using PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Virtual Health Library, Clarivate-Web of Science, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature. Included papers documented magnet ingestion in ages 0-18 years, from 2002 to 2024. Non-magnet foreign body ingestions were excluded. Policy searches were conducted online in English and Spanish. In total, 2998 articles were reviewed, with 204 papers undergoing full-text analysis. Data regarding incidence, demographics, and interventions required were extracted.

A total of 96 studies from countries in six continents documenting patients requiring hospitalisation and/or medical interventions were included. Studies reported between 1 and 5738 cases over a range of years, with several studies showing an increase in incidence over time. National policies placing warning labels, restricting sales, or banning high-powered magnets were described mostly in Western nations within the last 5 years.

Paediatric magnet ingestion incidence rates remain high despite an increase in regulations globally. Reported data likely underestimates the true extent of the problem since relevant reports are not available in many countries and many countries still lack national policies or data comparing pre- and post-policy implementation. There is insufficient data to determine the efficacy of any single type of regulation.