Parents issue warning after their two-year-old swallows 28 mini-magnets

It was just a toy to dad Kyle McBrien.

So he really didn’t’ think much of it when he left his Buckyballs - neodymium magnets - out on his desk.

When he came out of the bathroom to find his daughter Ella holding some of these in her hand, he quickly realised the two-year-old with a tendency for putting things in her mouth had likely swallowed some.

In fact, the toddler had managed to swallow 28 of the high-power magnets.

Luckily, Dr. Robert Kramer, Director of Endoscopy at Children's Hospital Colorado was able to get to them before the hole was formed and avoided major surgery by performing a specialised endoscopy.

"In the worst cases there has been deaths associated with these," Dr Kramer told KDVR of holes in the bowel.

The parents are now warning others about the dangers of these small magnets.

This particular type had been recalled in 2013 by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and made it illegal to sell them, before the ruling was overturned in late 2016.

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And Dr Kramer says cases like Ella’s are becoming more common as a result.

"We are seeing these cases come back again. And cases like [Ella's] where we have to do significant intervention".

When someone swallows more than two magnets, it’s considered a medical emergency and children should be taken to see a doctor immediately.