Boy Swallows 100 Magnets Reportedly Bought From Temu, Hospital Trip Ensues

It’s a macabre medical tale updated for our modern day. In a case report published today, doctors describe how a 13-year-old New Zealand boy was hospitalized and required surgery after ingesting dozens of tiny magnets — magnets allegedly bought from the popular, China-based market Temu.

the surgeon details Strange cases in the New Zealand Medical Journal on Friday. Although the magnets caused serious damage to his intestines, doctors successfully removed them and the boy was eventually released from the hospital.

Magnet accident

According to reports, the boy was admitted to the hospital with general abdominal pain for four days. He told doctors that about a week ago, he ingested about 80 to 100 high-strength neodymium magnets, measuring 5 by 2 millimeters, which were purchased from Temu.

Medical imaging soon revealed that the magnets were clustered in four separate straight lines across his intestines. What’s worse, these clumps began to form necrosis, or dead tissue, along his intestines. Doctors operated on the boy to remove both the magnet and the dead intestinal tissue. After eight days in the hospital, the boy was sent home.

Although the surgery was successful, it could have long-term consequences, the doctors noted. Similar to surgical magnet removal, patients later develop complications such as intestinal obstruction and abdominal hernias.

An online danger

These types of small, high-powered magnets are known to pose serious health risks to children or others who receive them. And some countries have banned their sale entirely locally in recent years, including New Zealand Since 2013. The authors argue that this case should be seen as an important reminder that there are still ways for children to get their hands on these potentially dangerous toys.

“This case highlights not only the dangers of magnet ingestion but also the dangers of online marketplaces for our pediatric population,” they wrote.

In its initial statement sent to Gizmodo on Friday, Temu said it was conducting an internal review into the matter. In an updated statement on Saturday, after contacting the journal’s editors, the agency said it could not verify whether the magnets the boy swallowed were originally purchased from the website.

“As a precaution, we have reviewed photos of the magnets published in the journal and checked listings of similar products on our platform. The magnets currently available comply with New Zealand regulations, and such products are also sold through other major online and physical retailers,” said a Temu representative. “While these products are legal to sell, they can be dangerous if ingested, and we support efforts to increase public awareness of magnet safety.”

The spokesperson added: “As a third-party marketplace, Temu requires all sellers to comply with applicable laws and security standards, and we act promptly to remove any listing found to be non-compliant.”

It’s worth noting that Temu may not be the only online retailer from which this type of product can potentially be purchased.

Earlier this year, for example, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission issued A warning to consumers about purchasing small magnetic balls from Shenzhen Jiaozuo Technology Company that were sold exclusively through Amazon. An investigation last year from a UK consumer advocacy organization Which? (yes, that’s the name of the organization) last December Also found Online retailers like eBay are still selling small magnet toys that are otherwise illegal in the country

This article has been updated to include the boy’s age as well as a revised statement from Temu.