BETHESDA, Md., (WUSA) -- Two year old Braylon Jordan swallowed eight magnetic balls that are at least 15 times stronger than traditional magnets.
The magnetic attraction was so strong it punched through his small intestine. And, most of it had to be surgically removed.
"Braylon isn't allowed to eat anything. So, he has to be fed through a tunnel catheter in his chest," says his mom Meaghin Jordan.
He now wears an ostomy bag day and night. It could have been worse.
"Braylon is fortunate to be alive," says his doctor R. Adam Noel, who is conducting a nationwide study. He is seeing an alarming increase in this type of injury.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has received more than 200 reports of children swallowing tiny magnets since 2008.
The agency is suing Buckyballs and Buckycubes' manufacturer to get them to stop selling their products.
"The company and CPSC have been warning for a long time, this is not a product intended for kids. Yet the incidents still happen. And, in the end, we have an obligation to keep children out of surgery," says CPSC spokesperson Scott Wolfson.
Buckyballs does warn, "keep away from all children" and "do not put in nose or mouth."
"But our investigation shows that warnings in other brands of magnet sets could be easily missed," says Consumer Reports' Andrea Rock.
Zen Magnets warning is buried under layers encased in cellophane.
And, some online retailers don't have any warnings. Toys R Us simply touts, "endless hours of play."
Rock says, "We are concerned that the warnings on these magnetic balls have not prevented serious injuries in children, and we are calling for the removal of these toys from the consumer market."
Braylon's mom Meaghin says, "I would advise parents, with everything in me, not to buy them at all."
The maker of Buckyballs and Buckycubes says magnets have been around for centuries and only markets its product to ages 14 and older.
It adds that ti's sad that the CPSC has come after them.
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It's the first time in a decade, the government has used this kind of legal tactic to try and stop a company from selling a product.