Many of us have seen online ads for products containing high-powered magnets. In the anything-goes internet marketplace, though, parents and child caregivers have to be extra careful about what they’re bringing into their homes. High-powered magnet sets are one of those items: look great in the ad but might not be as safe as you think.

If you did click on one of those ads, the information you see might be confusing, misleading, or just plain wrong. On some sites, high-powered magnet desk sets (large numbers of small magnets usually sold in cubes or balls) are described as toys, but these are actually products designed for adults and do not have to meet the same safety standards as products for children. Some sites show different age recommendations than what are listed on the package. Other sites use pictures of young children playing with high-powered magnet sets even though the description says that the product is intended for older children or teens. The lack of accurate information makes it hard for consumers to know what is really safe for their child.

Whether your children are still in diapers or teenagers, high-powered magnet sets can put them at risk. So the next time you’re tempted to click on an ad for high-powered magnet sets, remember: buyer beware.

High-powered magnets are more dangerous than many people realize.

• If two high-powered magnets (or a magnet and a metal object) are swallowed, the magnets will pull toward each other inside the body, which can eventually cause holes in the tissue caught between them. These holes can be life-threatening and require emergency surgery to fix.

It’s hard to keep track of them.

• The small size and large number of high-powered magnets in these sets make it nearly impossible to tell whether any magnets are missing.

Just because a product is on the market does not mean it is safe to have in your home.

• Stay up-to-date on recalls by signing up for notices at recalls.gov, and always check high-powered magnet toys for loose or missing magnets.

The symptoms after swallowing high-powered magnets are similar to common illnesses: vomiting (throwing up), fever, and stomach pain. If your child is showing these symptoms and you have high-powered magnets in your home, magnets might be the cause.

More high-powered magnet safety information is available at www.preventchildinjury.org/toolkits/high-powered-magnets.