A 13 year old boy in New Zealand was suffering from stomach ache. When he went to the doctor, he was asked what he had eaten and drunk in the last few days. This boy made a shocking revelation. He said that he had swallowed more than 100 small magnets.
According to the New York Post report, when doctors took an X-ray of the boy’s stomach and other tests, it was found that hundreds of small magnets were stuck in his intestine. It is believed that these magnets were purchased from Chinese shopping site Temu.
Swallowed a magnet 4-5 days ago
After swallowing the magnet, he started having stomach pain. After four days the stomach pain increased significantly. Then he reached the doctor. He was admitted to Tauranga Hospital in the North Island of the country. Doctors investigated and found that the boy had swallowed more than 100 high-powered magnets.
According to the case report published Friday in the New Zealand Medical Journal, he told doctors he had swallowed 80 to 100 small neodymium magnets about a week earlier, but doctors later removed about 200 magnets from his intestine.
It was damaged by a magnet after getting stuck in the intestine.
X-rays revealed that four chains of magnets were stuck in different parts of his intestines, which were pulling on each other and blocking blood flow to nearby cells. Doctors said that due to the pressure, many patches of necrosis had formed. This required emergency surgery.
In the operation, magnets and some parts of the damaged intestine were removed. Doctors Binura Lekamlage, Lucinda Duncan-Vere and Nicola Davis wrote in the medical report that the boy, who has not been named, spent eight days in hospital before being discharged.
Swallowing a magnet can have fatal consequences.
Doctors warn that patients who undergo magnet removal surgery often face complications such as intestinal damage, hernia or long-term stomach pain.
This incident highlighted the dangers of selling magnets online
Doctors said that this case not only highlights the dangers of eating magnets, but also highlights the dangers of online marketing for children. New Zealand banned the sale of small, high-powered magnets in 2013 after several cases of children swallowing them.
The magnet makes a hole in the internal part of the intestine or stomach.
These magnets, made of neodymium-iron-boron, are often sold as toys or stress relievers. They are 30 times more powerful than normal magnets and can stick with such force that they can punch holes in the intestinal walls if swallowed.
Despite the ban, magnets are being sold online
Despite the ban, these magnets are widely available online. The boy told doctors that the magnets he had swallowed were purchased through Teemu, one of the fastest growing e-commerce platforms in the world.
Teemu said in a statement that it is investigating the incident, although the company cannot determine with certainty whether the magnets in question were purchased through its platform. A Teemu spokesperson told The Post, “We are saddened to learn of this incident and we wish the boy a speedy recovery.”
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