Surgeons Remove Up To 100 Magnets From New Zealand Teenager’s Intestines

A 13-year-old boy successful New Zealand swallowed up to 100 high-power magnets he bought online, forcing surgeons to region insubstantial from his intestines, doctors said connected Friday.

After suffering 4 days of abdominal pain, nan unnamed teen was taken to Tauranga infirmary successful nan North Island. “He disclosed ingesting astir 80 to 100 5x2mm high-power (neodymium) magnets astir 1 week prior,” said a study by infirmary doctors successful nan New Zealand Medical Journal.

The magnets, which person been banned successful New Zealand since January 2013, were bought connected nan online shopping level Temu, they said.

An X-ray showed nan magnets had clumped together successful 4 consecutive lines wrong nan child’s intestines. “These appeared to beryllium successful abstracted parts of bowel adhered together owed to magnetic forces,” they said.

No day was fixed for nan operation. Temu said it had launched an investigation to guarantee it complies pinch information requirements successful New Zealand.

Doctors said nan unit of nan magnets had caused necrosis – insubstantial decease – successful 4 areas of nan boy’s mini bowel and caecum, which is portion of nan ample intestine. Surgeons operated to region nan dormant insubstantial and retrieve nan magnets and nan kid was capable to return location aft 8 days successful hospital.

“This lawsuit highlights not only nan dangers of magnet ingestion but besides nan dangers of nan online marketplace for our paediatric population,” said nan authors of nan paper, Binura Lekamalage, Lucinda Duncan-Were and Nicola Davis.

Surgery for ingestion of magnets tin lead to complications later successful life specified arsenic bowel obstruction, abdominal hernia and chronic pain, they said.

Temu said it was sorry to study of nan boy’s surgery. “We person launched an soul reappraisal and reached retired to nan authors of nan New Zealand Medical Journal article to get much specifications astir nan case,” a spokesperson said successful a statement.

“At this stage, we person not been capable to corroborate whether nan magnets progressive were purchased done Temu aliases place nan circumstantial merchandise listing. Nonetheless, our teams are reviewing applicable listings to guarantee afloat compliance pinch section information requirements.”

The Chinese-founded e-commerce company has travel nether disapproval successful markets including nan EU for allegedly not doing capable to free forbidden products from its platform.