Teen's 'Super Magnet' mishap: 200 magnets removed from boy's intestines in emergency surgery

New York (The Uttam Hindu): Doctors in New Zealand were baffled by the cause of a 13-year-old boy's stomach pain. The boy had swallowed more than 100 small, yet extremely powerful magnets. These magnets stuck together in his stomach, causing severe intestinal damage (necrosis). Doctors had to perform emergency surgery to save the boy's life.

According to the New York Post, the boy had been suffering from stomach pain for four days. When the pain became unbearable, he was taken to Tauranga Hospital on the country's North Island. When doctors asked him what he had eaten and drunk, the boy made the shocking revelation: he had swallowed 80 to 100 magnets.

According to the case report, published Friday in the New Zealand Medical Journal, doctors were stunned when they conducted X-rays and other tests. Four chains of tiny magnets were lodged in the boy's intestines. These magnets were pulling on each other so strongly that they had gripped the intestinal walls.

This pressure cut off blood flow to the intestinal cells, causing numerous patches of necrosis (cell death). This required immediate emergency surgery.

During the operation, doctors removed approximately 200 magnets from the boy's intestine. The surgery also involved cutting out and removing the damaged parts of the intestine along with the magnets. The boy, whose name has been withheld, was discharged after eight days in the hospital.

This case highlights not only the dangers of eating magnets, but also the dangers of online marketplaces for children. The boy told doctors he had purchased the magnets from the Chinese site Temu, one of the world's fastest-growing e-commerce platforms.

These are magnets made of neodymium, iron, and boron, which are 30 times more powerful than ordinary magnets. They are often sold as toys or stress relievers.

Surprisingly, New Zealand banned the sale of such high-powered magnets in 2013 after several cases of children swallowing them. Despite this, they remain readily available online. A Temu spokesperson told The Post that they are investigating the incident, though they are unsure if the magnets were purchased through their platform.