A 13-year-old boy in New Zealand swallowed up to 100 high-power magnets he bought online, prompting surgeons to remove tissue from his intestines.
On Friday, October 24, doctors shared that after suffering from abdominal pain for almost four days, the unidentified teenager was taken to Tauranga Hospital in the North Island.
"He disclosed ingesting approximately 80 to 100 5x2 mm high-power (neodymium) magnets about one week prior," said a report by hospital doctors in the New Zealand Medical Journal.
The magnets, which have been banned in New Zealand since January 2013, were bought on the online shopping platform Temu.
An X-ray showed the magnets had clumped together in four straight lines inside the child's intestines.
Temu said it had launched an investigation to ensure it complies with safety requirements in New Zealand.
Doctors said the pressure of the magnets had caused necrosis, tissue death, in four areas of the boy's small bowel and caecum, which is part of the large intestine.
Surgeons operated to remove the dead tissue and retrieve the magnets, and the child was able to return home after eight days in hospital.
"This case highlights not only the dangers of magnet ingestion but also the dangers of the online marketplace for our paediatric population," said the authors of the paper, Binura Lekamalage, Lucinda Duncan-Were and Nicola Davis.
Following massive backlash, Temu officially released a statement, which read, “We reviewed the photo of the magnets published in the Journal and checked listings of similar products on our platform. The magnets currently available are compliant with New Zealand regulations, and such products are also sold through other major online and physical retailers.”
“While these products are lawful to sell, they can be dangerous if swallowed and we support efforts to raise public awareness about magnet safety,” the statement added.
Furthermore, the e-commerce giant confirmed that it is currently working with “all sellers to comply with applicable laws and safety standards, and we act promptly to remove any listings found to be non-compliant.”
