A 13-year-old boy underwent significant surgery after ingesting approximately 100 high-powered magnets purchased on an online platform called Temu. The incident occurred in New Zealand, where surgeons had to remove a portion of the boy’s intestines due to abdominal pain caused by the magnets.
The boy, whose identity remains undisclosed, was admitted to Tauranga Hospital on New Zealand’s North Island following four days of severe discomfort. According to a report published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, the boy confessed to swallowing a large number of 5x2mm neodymium magnets a week earlier.
These ultra-powerful magnets, prohibited in New Zealand since 2013, were procured from Temu, a Chinese marketplace. The magnets had clustered together in the child’s intestines, forming four elongated strips that caused tissue damage and necrosis due to magnetic pressure.
After surgery to remove the magnets and necrotic tissue, the boy was discharged from the hospital after an eight-day stay. The medical practitioners who treated him warned about the potential long-term complications of such incidents, including bowel obstructions and chronic pain.
Temu expressed regret over the surgery and initiated an internal investigation to ensure compliance with safety regulations in New Zealand. The company stated that while they had not confirmed the source of the magnets involved in the incident, they were reviewing their listings to ensure adherence to safety standards.
Criticism has been directed at Temu in the EU for purportedly failing to remove illicit products from its platform.