UAE doctors warn of silent internal injuries from swallowed magnetic beads

A five-year-old Sharjah boy swallowed 52 magnetic beads, which attached themselves across different loops of his intestine, trapping tissue and causing progressive internal injury. Doctors at NMC Royal Hospital Sharjah initially attempted endoscopic removal but found the magnets lodged too far inside the digestive tract. Emergency surgery revealed multiple holes in the bowel, severe inflammation and infection. Surgeons successfully removed all 52 magnets and repaired the damage without removing any part of the child's intestine. The boy spent several days in intensive care and gradually recovered. Dr Wissam Tamer, consultant paediatric surgeon, warned that when magnets attract each other through separate bowel loops, they can trap tissue in between, causing injury that continues silently inside the abdomen even when a child appears relatively well. Doctors emphasised that seeking medical attention immediately when a child swallows magnets can make all the difference.