Doctors in New Zealand are raising alarms after a young boy was hospitalized for swallowing up to 100 tiny magnets that he purchased from the popular shopping platform Temu.
According to PEOPLE, the boy was admitted to Tauranga Hospital four days after he began experiencing severe abdominal pain. His medical case was later published in the New Zealand Medical Journal on Friday, revealing that he had ingested the magnets about a week before being hospitalized.
X-rays showed approximately 80–100 high-power 5x2mm magnets stuck inside his intestines. Doctors confirmed the magnets had formed clumps in multiple parts of his bowel, drawn together by their strong magnetic force. The medical team successfully removed all the magnets during surgery. The boy was discharged eight days after the procedure and is expected to make a full recovery.
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Doctors Warn About the Dangers of Magnet Ingestion
Medical experts involved in the case say this incident is part of a growing concern about children swallowing small magnetic objects that are easily accessible online.
According to the New Zealand Medical Journal, doctors wrote that while it’s common for pediatric patients to swallow objects, magnets can cause severe internal injuries. The report stated that ingestion of magnets can lead to “pressure necrosis, perforation and fistulation,” which means the magnets can tear or fuse sections of the intestines together.
In this case, images released with the report showed the magnets clustered throughout different areas of the bowel. Because of their strong attraction to each other, they created dangerous pressure points within the digestive tract.
The report did not disclose why the boy swallowed the magnets but emphasized the risk posed by the easy availability of such items on online marketplaces.
Temu Responds to Safety Concerns
In response to the publication of the medical report, Temu issued a statement stressing its commitment to consumer safety and compliance with market regulations.
Temu provided the following statement amid news of the medical journal article:
“Following the report, we contacted the New Zealand Medical Journal to learn more about the case. According to the editors, the 13-year-old teenager reported that the magnets were purchased from Temu, but we have not been able to independently verify this.
As a precaution, 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.
As a third-party marketplace, Temu requires all sellers to comply with applicable laws and safety standards, and we act promptly to remove any listings found to be non-compliant.”