13-year-old has major surgery after eating 100 magnets bought on Temu

A 13-year-old boy has had major surgery after eating 80-100 small magnets purchased on Temu. Photo / New Zealand Medical Journal

A 13-year-old boy has undergone major surgery after swallowing 80-100 small magnets purchased on Temu.

Neodymium magnets have been banned in some cases since 2014 but are still available through some online marketplaces.

The ban applies for domestic use such as in toys or jewellery, but the magnets can still be sold for hardware, education and as parts for other products.

Surgeons at Tauranga Hospital had to remove part of the boy’s bowel after he ate up to 100 of the small magnets, according to a case study in the New Zealand Medical Journal.

They said it was “alarming” how difficult it was to enforce the long-standing ban when easily-accessible online marketplaces existed.

The Pasifika Medical Association Group said it highlighted the dangers of online marketplaces in the paediatric population.

“While product safety laws exist in New Zealand that prohibit the sale of high-powered magnets, there is significant challenge in enforcing these laws on products sold on online marketplaces.

“This is especially concerning for our tamariki as these platforms are easily accessible,” a spokesperson said.

University of Auckland professor Alex Sims said small, high-powered magnets were being advertised as fun toys when they could be life-threatening.

“Small high-power magnets have been marketed and sold as fun toys for adults and children when they are sold in sets as they can be used to make different shapes and also be used as fidget toys.

“Unfortunately, they often come as brightly coloured small balls, making them attractive for children to swallow.”

Sims said enforcing the ban on these small magnets was difficult when they were cheap and easy to get through online marketplaces.

“Parents should not be allowing their children to purchase items unsupervised on any online marketplaces, all purchases must be done or at least overseen by parents.”

Temu response

In a written statement, Temu said the company had launched an internal review after becoming aware of the case from media inquiries.

“We are sorry to learn about the reported incident and wish the boy a full and speedy recovery,” a spokesperson said.

“We take product safety very seriously and continuously monitor our platform to ensure sellers are complying with the safety regulations of the markets they are doing business in.”

The platform had contacted the author of The New Zealand Medical Journal article to obtain more details about the case.

“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.

“Any products found to be non-compliant will be removed, and we will take firm action against any sellers found to have breached our platform rules or local regulations.”

- RNZ

Correction

RNZ has clarified information about the ban on neodymium magnets. The ban applies for domestic use such as in toys or jewellery, but the magnets can still be sold for hardware, education and as parts for other products.