A seven-year-old girl has escaped major injury after accidentally swallowing five magnetic balls from a toy set that is banned in Australian stores, with doctors saying it is "outrageous" the toys are still available to buy online.

Key points: X-rays show the magnetic balls clumped together inside Olivia Fay's digestive tract

X-rays show the magnetic balls clumped together inside Olivia Fay's digestive tract The magnetic balls are banned in Australian stores, but can still be purchased online

The magnetic balls are banned in Australian stores, but can still be purchased online Parents are urged to do their research before purchasing toys online

Olivia Fay was playing with the magnetic balls she got as a Christmas gift last year when she told her parents she had ingested them.

Her mother, Rebecca Fay, rushed Olivia to the Townsville University Hospital after researching about the danger of the magnetic balls online.

"When we got to hospital she said she had some stomach pains," Ms Fay said.

"The doctors were nervous but once the X-ray showed [the magnetic balls] were together, that was a plus because when they are separate, it can cause more issues," Ms Fay said.

Olivia swallowed five of the small magnetic balls at Christmas time. ( ABC News: Hannah Palmer )

Two children treated over Christmas

Olivia was one of two children who presented at the Townsville University Hospital emergency room over the Christmas break after swallowing magnetic balls.

Doctors were shocked when a toddler was rushed to hospital after he swallowed more than 100 of the 2-millimetre-sized balls, which had to be removed manually through the stomach.

Both children escaped without serious injuries.

Five magnetic balls together next to a 20 cent piece, from a larger bundle that was part of the toy set. ( ABC News: Hannah Palmer )

The magnets pose a choking hazard to children, but what Townsville public health director Dr Steven Donohue was most worried about was what happens once the balls have been swallowed.

"These balls are very powerful magnets and they can pinch together between different layers of stomach or intestines," he said.

"They [The balls] can erode the tissue and can cause perforations of the bowel or intestine, peritonitis or sometimes even death."

Ms Fay had to stay in hospital with Olivia, who was under close observation by medical staff.

"Then it was just a wait and watch until they passed through Olivia's bowels," Ms Fay said.

The Fay family were worried about the magnetic balls inside Olivia's stomach. ( ABC News: Hannah Palmer )

'Don't go anywhere near this magnetic toy'

The magnetic balls, which are banned in Australian stores, can still be purchased from online retailers.

Dr Donohue said the magnetic balls were extremely dangerous and should not be available to purchase.

"The fact that people can be purchasing [the balls] on Australian websites is outrageous," he said.

"We worry about small toys for choking hazards, button batteries that can burn inside the tissues, which can lead to ulcers, and magnetics that pinch tissue and can be fatal.

"Don't go anywhere near this magnetic toy."

Dr Donohue is calling on online retailers to take magnetic balls out of circulation. ( ABC News: Hannah Palmer )

Ms Fay wishes she had done more research about the toy before purchasing it for her daughter.

"We didn't know that they were banned in Australia until we were in hospital with Olivia," she said.

"We did some research and found out that in recent years there had been incidents and subsequently you can't purchase them here [in stores]."

Ms Fay urged other parents to do their research before purchasing toys online.

"We didn't do the research and Olivia is seven — she's not at an age we were concerned about her picking things up and putting them in her mouth like a toddler," she said.