TEEN UNDERGOES SURGERY AFTER SWALLOWING MORE THAN 80 MAGNETS. (PHOTO).

 Teen undergoes surgery after swallowing more than 80 magnets

A teenage boy in New Zealand required emergency surgery and had part of his bowel removed after swallowing more than 80 high-powered magnets, according to a recent case report in the New Zealand Medical Journal.

The boy ingested between 80 and 100 small neodymium magnets, each only a few millimeters wide. Inside his digestive tract, the magnets clumped together, pulling sections of his bowel toward one another and causing serious internal damage. After enduring four days of severe abdominal pain, he sought medical attention.

Scans revealed four chains of magnets inside his abdomen, binding portions of the bowel together. Surgeons performed an emergency operation to remove both the magnets and the damaged tissue. The teen spent eight days in the hospital recovering before being discharged.

Although New Zealand and Australia have banned the sale of high-powered magnets, experts say they remain easily accessible online, often with minimal age restrictions. The boy reportedly purchased the magnets through the online retailer Temu, though the company said it could not confirm the purchase. A Temu spokesperson noted that their products comply with New Zealand regulations and warned that while lawful, high-powered magnets can be dangerous if swallowed.

In the United States, similar concerns have led the Consumer Product Safety Commission to enforce safety standards limiting the strength of small, separable magnets in products. The agency has also recalled several magnet-based toys that present ingestion hazards.