A hospital in Prague has reported that it is treating five children who accidentally swallowed magnets while attempting a “piercing challenge” they discovered on TikTok. The children used sphere-shaped magnets placed on their tongues to mimic the look of body piercings, leading to the unintended ingestion of the small objects.
According to the Prague-Motol hospital, one of the children was fortunate enough to pass the magnets naturally, while the other patients remain hospitalized. Two of them are likely to undergo urgent surgeries due to the potential complications from swallowing the magnets.
The hospital issued a warning regarding the dangers associated with swallowing multiple magnets or a magnet alongside a metal object. Such instances can lead to the magnets attracting each other inside the body, posing a significant risk. This can result in the stomach and intestines being pulled towards each other, leading to severe damage, perforation, or inflammation.
Health officials are urging parents to be vigilant about the content their children engage with on social media platforms and to educate them about the risks of participating in dangerous challenges online.