Israeli Hospital Treats Two Life-Threatening Cases of Children Swallowing Hazardous Objects

In the past two weeks, the Emek Medical Center in Israel's Clalit Health Services treated two critical pediatric cases involving ingestion of dangerous foreign objects. A four-year-old boy swallowed a button battery, which caused chemical burns in his esophagus. Doctors performed an emergency gastroscopy under general anesthesia to remove the battery and noted early tissue damage. The child was hospitalized for observation and later discharged in good condition.

In a more severe case, a five-year-old girl ingested 16 magnetic balls from a toy. Unlike the battery, the magnets had passed into the intestines, causing multiple perforations and tissue necrosis due to their mutual attraction through intestinal walls. Surgeons conducted a complex operation to remove the magnets and reconnect the damaged intestinal segments. The procedure was successful, and the girl is now recovering.

Medical staff emphasized the urgency of prompt hospital visits when ingestion is suspected, even if symptoms are not immediately apparent. They warned that button batteries can cause severe chemical burns within two hours, potentially leading to life-threatening complications such as esophageal perforation, vocal cord damage, infections, and bleeding. Magnets pose a high risk of intestinal injury and can be fatal if diagnosis and treatment are delayed.

Doctors urged parents to secure battery compartments on household devices and keep small magnets out of children's reach, especially during school vacations when children are more likely to play unsupervised. Early detection and rapid medical intervention are critical to preventing serious harm or death from swallowing these seemingly harmless objects.