13-Year-Old Hospitalized After Swallowing Dozens of Powerful Magnets

A 13-year-old boy in New Zealand was hospitalized after swallowing nearly 100 small but extremely powerful magnets — an incident that led to the surgical removal of part of his bowel, according to a report published in the New Zealand Medical Journal.

The magnets, made of neodymium, are tiny in size (around five millimeters long and two millimeters wide) but are known for their intense magnetic pull. Although commonly sold as stress-relief desk toys for adults, these magnets can be incredibly dangerous if swallowed. When more than one is ingested, the magnets can attract each other through the walls of the intestines, trapping and pinching tissue between them. This can result in severe internal injuries such as tissue death (pressure necrosis), bowel perforation, and serious infections that can be life-threatening if not treated quickly.

According to the case report, the boy suffered from abdominal pain for four days before being taken to the hospital. He admitted to doctors that he had swallowed the magnets about a week earlier, though no clear reason was given for why he ingested them.

Medical scans revealed that the magnets had clustered together in chains inside his abdomen, pulling sections of his intestines toward each other. The strong magnetic force made imaging difficult and created severe tension within his digestive tract. Surgeons performed an exploratory procedure to locate and remove the magnets.

During surgery, they discovered that several areas of his bowel and large intestine had been damaged due to pressure necrosis caused by the magnets sticking together. Doctors successfully removed the clusters, but part of the boy’s bowel had to be surgically removed due to irreparable injury. He spent eight days recovering in the hospital before being discharged.

While both New Zealand and Australia have banned the sale of high-powered magnets, enforcement remains difficult. These magnets continue to be widely available on various online marketplaces, often with minimal safety warnings and no age restrictions.

The boy reportedly told doctors that he had purchased the magnets through an online retailer. The company later stated that all magnets currently available on its platform comply with New Zealand’s safety standards, though similar products can be found across other online and physical retailers as well. The company also emphasized that even legal products can be hazardous if misused, and it supports efforts to educate the public about magnet safety.

Incidents like this have raised ongoing concerns about the availability of such magnets and the awareness of their risks. Similar cases have been reported in several countries, prompting consumer safety agencies to tighten regulations. In the United States, for example, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) introduced new safety standards in 2022 that limit the magnetic strength of small, separable magnets sold in toys and novelty items.

The agency continues to issue recalls for noncompliant products, warning that even a few high-powered magnets can pose a serious health risk if swallowed.

This case serves as a stark reminder to parents and caregivers to keep strong magnets out of children’s reach and to seek immediate medical attention if ingestion is suspected — as quick action can prevent life-threatening complications.