Cover image via Handout/New Zealand Medical Journal(NZMDJ)/AFP Photo
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A 13-year-old boy in New Zealand had to undergo major surgery after swallowing up to 100 high-power magnets he reportedly bought from Temu
According to a case report published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, the boy was taken to Tauranga Hospital after four days of severe abdominal pain.
Doctors said the teen had admitted to swallowing between 80 and 100 small neodymium magnets, each measuring just 5x2mm, about a week earlier, reported AFP.
The magnets have been banned in New Zealand since January 2013, but they were still available for purchase through the online shopping platform Temu.
An X-ray revealed the magnets had clumped together into four straight lines inside the boy's intestines
The strong magnetic pull caused different sections of his bowel to stick together, leading to tissue death (necrosis) in several areas.
Surgeons had to remove the damaged tissue and extract the magnets. The boy spent eight days in the hospital before being discharged.
"This case highlights not only the dangers of magnet ingestion but also the dangers of the online marketplace for our paediatric population," wrote the report's authors, Dr Binura Lekamalage, Dr Lucinda Duncan-Were, and Dr Nicola Davis.
An undated handout from the New Zealand Medical Journal shows an X-ray image of pieces of high-power magnets clumped up in the intestines of a New Zealand teenager in Tauranga.
Image via Handout/New Zealand Medical Journal(NZMDJ)/AFP PhotoIn response, Temu said it had launched an internal investigation to verify the case and ensure compliance with local safety regulations
"We have launched an internal review and reached out to the authors of the New Zealand Medical Journal article to obtain more details about the case," AFP quoted a Temu spokesperson as saying.
"At this stage, we have not been able to confirm whether the magnets involved were purchased through Temu or identify the specific product listing. Nonetheless, our teams are reviewing relevant listings to ensure full compliance with local safety requirements."
The Chinese-founded e-commerce platform has faced growing criticism in several countries, including the European Union, for allegedly failing to remove unsafe or illegal products from its marketplace.
