Health Headlines - November 14

Magnets in Desk Toys, Stress Relievers Pose Risk to Kids

High-powered magnets in desk toys and stress relievers for adults can be deadly if swallowed by children, the U.S. Consumer Protection Agency warns.

The tiny magnets are so strong they can slash through a child's intestines like a gunshot, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Since 2009, there have been 17 reported cases of the magnets being swallowed, and surgery to remove the magnets was required in 11 of those cases.

"We want parents to be aware of the danger associated with these innocent-looking magnets," CPSC Chair Inez Tenenbaum said in an agency news release, the Tribune reported.

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Novel Device Measures Blood Sugar in Teardrops

A chemical sensor that measures blood sugar levels in teardrops could one day offer diabetics a pain-free alternative to frequent blood tests that require skin pricks.

Preliminary tests of this new method were conducted using tears from 12 rabbits. The research was published in the journal Analytical Chemistry.

While promising, it would still be years before the chemical sensor might be commercially available, developer Dr. Mark E. Meyerhoff, a University of Michigan chemistry professor, told CBS News.

While the sensor would reduce the amount of blood testing, diabetics would still have to draw blood periodically to calibrate the device, he added.

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Chicken Liver Products Linked to Salmonella Outbreak

Broiled chicken liver products made by a New York company have been linked to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 169 people, a food safety monitoring center said.

The products made by Schreiber Processing Corp. of Maspeth, N.Y., are tied to 56 cases of illness in New York City, 33 cases outside the city, 64 cases in New Jersey, nine cases in Pennsylvania, and seven in Maryland, according to the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.

This week, the company announced a recall of the products that include 10-pound boxes of Meal Mart broiled chicken liver and 10-pound boxes of loose packed broiled chicken liver, MSNBC.com reported.

The recalled products were distributed in seven states: Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The agency said the recalled products, which appear ready to eat, are actually only partially cooked, MSNBC.com reported.