13-year-old boy hospitalized after swallowing dozens of high-powered magnets
A 13-year-old boy swallowed 80-100 neodymium magnets, causing bowel damage and requiring surgery, highlighting ongoing safety concerns despite bans in New Zealand.
- A 13-year-old boy in New Zealand swallowed between 80 and 100 neodymium magnets, and surgeons at Tauranga Hospital removed part of his bowel, the New Zealand Medical Journal reported.
- Neodymium magnets have been banned since 2014 but are still sold on some online platforms, and countries including New Zealand and Australia face challenges enforcing their permanent bans.
- Scans revealed the magnets had clustered into four chains in the lower-right abdomen, pulling different bowel sections together, and surgeons found pressure necrosis during exploratory surgery.
- A 2022 U.S. safety standard limits the power of loose magnets, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued multiple recalls, classifying these products as safety risks.
- The New Zealand Medical Journal report linked the purchase to online retailer Temu, which said it could not independently verify the claim and launched an internal review, while University of Auckland law professor Alex Sims warned listings reveal a legal gap.
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24 Articles
The teenager had to be operated after ingesting between 80 and 100 powerful magnets, which he said he bought on the Temu online sales platform.
The Chinese marketplace ensures that magnets currently on sale on its site comply with New Zealand regulations.
Teen swallows 100 magnets off Temu - then is left in agony needing major surgery - The Mirror
The 13-year-old boy was hospitalised after suffering four days of agony following his unusual snack, surgeons found around 100 magnets in his small and large intestine and had to remove dead tissue
13-year-old boy hospitalized after swallowing dozens of high-powered magnets
A 13-year-old boy in New Zealand was hospitalized after swallowing dozens of high-powered magnets, ultimately losing part of his bowel, according to a recent case report in the New Zealand Medical Journal.
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