7-Year-Old Nearly Dies After Swallowing 'Humbug-Size' Magnets from Banned Game

A Dangerous Game Leads to Emergency Surgery for a Seven-Year-Old

A seven-year-old boy in the UK required emergency open surgery after swallowing two powerful magnets from a children's game. The incident has raised concerns among safety officials and prompted calls for the product to be banned.

The event occurred when Naomi Rivers, a mother from Grantham, Lincolnshire, left her son Eli Jepson watching TV on May 11. She suddenly heard him crying out in distress. Upon checking, she discovered that Eli had swallowed a magnet from a game called Kluster. The toy consists of large, humbug-sized magnetic pieces and is marketed as a dexterity-based board game.

“I have a fear of choking anyway—it was my worst nightmare come to life,” said Ms. Rivers.

At Grantham and District Hospital, an X-ray revealed that the magnets had clamped together inside Eli’s stomach and then moved to his small intestine, where they became stuck again. This posed a serious risk of internal damage. He was quickly transferred by ambulance to Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, where surgeons performed emergency surgery to remove the magnets.

Warnings about the dangers of the game’s magnets have been issued before. The magnets are powerful enough to cause severe harm if swallowed, especially for young children. Parents are now urging for the product to be banned altogether.

Ms. Rivers described the situation as extremely alarming. “When we told the doctors he'd swallowed two magnets, a lot happened very, very quickly. Because it was more than one, there was a serious risk — they said he needed immediate treatment.”

Surgeons were worried that the magnets could attract each other through the walls of vital organs or tissue, potentially causing perforations or life-threatening internal damage. Initially, they tried using laxatives and an endoscopy to remove the magnets. When these methods failed, they attempted keyhole surgery but ultimately had to perform an open abdominal operation.

“The incision was about 10cm, or four inches,” said Ms. Rivers. “They tried with multiple instruments and just couldn’t get them.”

Eli spent four days in the hospital after a six-hour operation but has since made a full recovery. His mother has since thrown the game away and urges others to avoid giving such toys to young children.

“You want to encourage children to play with toys to get them off devices — and then something like this happens. My recommendation would be to not have these magnet toys around at all, and to educate children on how dangerous they are.”

Kluster is intended for players aged 14 and over, according to the manufacturer, Borderline Editions. The box includes a warning: “This is not a toy. Recommended for ages 14+. WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD. This product contains magnets. Swallowed magnets can cause serious injury. Seek immediate medical attention if magnets are swallowed or inhaled.”

Despite this, the game has been recalled in Canada due to the ingestion hazard. In 2023, the Canadian government cited the risk of serious and potentially life-threatening injuries from small, powerful magnets. However, the company stated that no incidents had been reported in Canada as of December 21, 2023.

Similar games involving magnets have been banned in the United States and Australia. In June 2024, a magnetic game sold on Temu.com was recalled due to similar risks. The U.S. watchdog warned that high-powered magnets can attract each other in the digestive system, leading to perforations, blockages, and even death.

Just recently in the UK, another magnetic game sold via TikTok was urgently recalled. The Magnetic Effect Chess Intelligence Strategy Game was removed from the online marketplace due to serious injury risks.

This incident highlights the ongoing concern over the safety of magnetic toys and the need for stricter regulations and awareness among parents.