Hospitalization of New Zealand Boy After Magnet Ingestion

A 13-year-old boy from New Zealand ended up in the hospital and had to undergo significant surgery after swallowing a large number of magnets.

Reports indicate that he experienced abdominal pain for four days before being admitted to Tauranga Hospital, where it was determined he had ingested around 80 to 100 high-powered magnets, each about 5 x 2 millimeters in size. This information was disclosed in the New Zealand Medical Journal.

The report expressed concerns about the increasing availability of these strong magnets to children, noting they can be easily bought online.

An X-ray revealed that four of the swallowed magnets had clustered together inside his abdomen. As a result, surgeons operated to remove the magnets along with a damaged section of his intestine. He was reportedly discharged from the hospital eight days following the surgery.

Swallowing multiple magnets can lead to serious, life-threatening injuries, and surgeries often bring the risk of future complications. New Zealand and Australia have made attempts to ban the sale of these small, powerful magnets, yet enforcing such bans online poses challenges.

In this incident, the magnets were said to have been purchased from the online marketplace Temu. A spokesperson from Temu noted that they are currently investigating the matter and have reached out to the report’s author for more details.

The spokesperson expressed disappointment over the incident and wished for the boy’s swift recovery. They emphasized the company’s commitment to product safety, stating that they consistently monitor their platform to ensure sellers comply with applicable safety regulations.

While Temu couldn’t pinpoint a specific product list or confirm if the magnets were indeed sold on their platform, they mentioned that the team is reviewing relevant listings to ensure compliance with local safety standards. Any products found to be non-compliant will be removed, and firm action will be taken against sellers violating platform rules or regulations.