Doctors at Schneider Children’s Hospital in Petach Tikvah removed a chain containing 14 magnets from the abdomen of a 3-year-old girl from the Rishon L’Tzion area. The girl was referred to the hospital by a local doctor who learned she ingested the ‘earth magnets’ which were attached to one another.

An abdominal x-ray revealed the magnets in her stomach. Doctors explain the need for intervention was immediate to avoid the possibility of a serious infection or worse.

The child was transferred to the Institute of Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases. She was anesthetized for the purpose of performing a gastroscopy in an effort to locate the magnets. The magnets were revealed below the duodenum. The doctors removed the magnets with great care via her stomach and esophagus. The child was sent home in good health after reawakening from the procedure.

Senior gastroenterologist Dr. Ari Silbermintz said that unfortunately, children swallow things and in this case, it was strong magnets, which posed a real danger to the digestive system and actually posed a life-threatening situation.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)