A 13-year-old boy in New Zealand underwent significant surgery after ingesting approximately 100 high-powered magnets that he had purchased online. Following complaints of abdominal pain, surgeons had to remove part of his intestines due to the magnet ingestion. The teenager was admitted to Tauranga hospital on New Zealand’s North Island after enduring four days of severe discomfort.
According to a report by hospital doctors published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, the boy admitted to swallowing 80 to 100 5x2mm neodymium magnets a week before seeking medical help. These magnets, which are highly powerful and have been banned in New Zealand since January 2013, were acquired from the online marketplace Temu. The magnets had clustered together in the boy’s intestines, forming four elongated strips, causing tissue damage and necrosis in multiple areas of his bowels.
The surgical team successfully removed the magnets and necrotic tissue, allowing the boy to be discharged after an eight-day hospital stay. The medical report emphasized the risks associated with magnet ingestion and the potential complications that may arise, including bowel obstruction and chronic pain later in life. Temu expressed regret over the incident and initiated an internal review to ensure compliance with safety regulations in New Zealand.
The authors of the medical paper highlighted the hazards of magnet ingestion and online marketplaces for children. They raised concerns about the long-term consequences of the bowel surgery performed on the boy. Temu confirmed its cooperation in investigating the matter and vowed to uphold safety standards. The e-commerce platform has faced criticism in the EU for its alleged failure to remove illicit products from its website.