The number of young children in the United States being sent to the emergency room for swallowing foreign objects (toys, coins, batteries, etc) has nearly doubled over the past two decades, a new study says.
Researchers used the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, administered by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, to figure out how many kids under the age of 6 visited U.S. ERs after swallowing an object between 1995 and 2015.
According to the study published Friday in the journal Pediatrics, in 2015, nearly 43,000 such visits occurred among kids under 6, compared with 22,000 in 1995. The rate jumped from almost 10 per 10,000 ER visits to 18 per 10,000.
Almost 800,000 children were treated during the study years after swallowing foreign objects. Coins were the most commonly swallowed object, followed by toys, jewelry and batteries.
Boys were more likely to swallow objects than girls: 53% vs 47%. Boys were also more likely to swallow screws and nails, whereas girls were more likely to swallow jewelry and hair products.
The majority (97%) of the cases occurred at home, which the study authors said is probably due to the accessibility of the types of objects.
In most cases, children who were seen in the ER were discharged, but 10% required hospitalization.
Batteries and small high-powered magnets often marketed as desk toys for adults are among the most dangerous objects.
When kids swallow more than one powerful magnet, the objects can attract each inside the intestines, boring holes into the abdomen that can lead to life-threatening blood poisoning.
In recent years, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued safety warnings and orders to stop sales of some magnets, citing dozens of hospitalizations and at least one toddler death.
Because the study looked only at children who were seen in ERs, the authors say the results may underestimate the total number of children who swallow objects; they may also see their primary care doctors or urgent care centers, or call poison control and be instructed to stay home.