A 3-YEAR-OLD boy recently underwent a surgery to have two magnetic balls he had swallowed removed, which had resulted in vomiting and hematochezia, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday.

The boy, identified as Haohao, was taken by his mother to Shenzhen Children’s Hospital after the boy showed her a new “skill” he had acquired — he could stick an iron plate to his stomach.

According to Haohao’s mother, the boy vomited several times for unknown reasons one day, and on the same day Haohao told her that he saw some blood in his excrement. Haohao said that he had swallowed a pea-sized magnetic ball on the day before he started vomiting. “He said he swallowed one more magnetic ball the next day,” said the mother.

An X-ray examination showed two magnets were inside Haoha’s intestines, causing intestinal obstruction. He needed surgery immediately.

Doctors later found that the two magnets were stuck to the boy’s intestinal tract and the balls had even perforated his intestines in three spots resulting in a large amount of fluid floating in his abdominal cavity.

Haohao recovered and was discharged from the hospital 10 days after the surgery.

According to the hospital, they receive many young patients who accidentally swallow objects.

Another boy named Fengfeng, 4, was sent to the hospital after swallowing seven magnetic balls. Doctors removed the seven magnetic balls from Fengfeng’s body, but his stomach had already been damaged by the magnets.

(Zhang Qian)