A 13-year-old boy in New Zealand was hospitalized after swallowing dozens of high-powered magnets and eventually lost part of his intestine, according to a recent case report published in the New Zealand Medical Journal.
The boy, whose identity was not revealed, ate between 80 and 100 neodymium magnets, each five millimeters by two millimeters in size, according to the report.
High-powered magnets, often sold as desk toys for adults, are small but dangerous if swallowed. Its strong magnetic attraction can cause parts of the digestive tract to stick together, leading to serious complications such as pressure necrosis, perforation or life-threatening infections, according to the report. Surgery is often required, with risks of long-term complications such as chronic pain.
The teen endured four days of abdominal pain before seeking medical help, according to the report. At the hospital, he told doctors he had swallowed the magnets about a week earlier. The report does not name the hospital where he was treated or explain why he ate the magnets.
The scans revealed that the magnets had clustered into four chains on the lower right side of his abdomen, binding different sections of his intestine together with their magnetic force, the report said, noting that the magnets distorted some images. Doctors then proceeded with exploratory surgery.
During the procedure, surgeons discovered that the magnetic chains were causing pressure necrosis (tissue death due to prolonged pressure) in parts of the large intestine. They successfully removed the magnets, but the boy required part of his intestine to be removed. He spent eight days recovering in the hospital before being released, according to the report.
Although countries such as New Zealand and Australia have permanently banned the sale of high-powered magnets, their application remains a challenge. Magnets are still widely available online at low prices, often without the need for age verification, according to the report.
The boy told doctors he bought the magnets from online retailer Temu. The company told CNN it could not independently verify this claim.
“As a precaution, we reviewed the photograph of the magnets published in the Journal and checked the 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 physical and online retailers,” a Temu spokesperson said.
“While these products are legal to sell, they can be dangerous if ingested and we support efforts to raise public awareness about the safety of magnets,” the company added.
In the United States, the Consumer Product Safety Commission introduced a mandatory safety rule in 2022 that limits the power of loose or separable magnets in products designed for purposes such as entertainment and stress relief.
The agency has also issued multiple recalls of products containing dangerous magnets, which it continues to classify as a safety risk.
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