The patient is N.T.P.T, living in Hanoi. According to the family, while playing with his sister, the child suddenly grabbed a hair clip and put it in his mouth. The older sister tried to remove the foreign object but failed. The clip was floating deep down the throat, unable to be observed or removed by hand. The child showed signs of mild coughing and vomiting milk, but still ate and played normally. Worried about the risk of digestive damage, the family immediately took the child to the hospital.
Through examination and abdominal X-ray, the doctor recorded the image of a metal foreign object in the stomach area. The child was quickly transferred to the Gastroenteroscopy and Functional Examination Center for foreign object intervention.
Doctor To Duy Thu, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, said that the foreign object was a metal hair clip, cutting, the cap, and the edge of the skin, located in the body - the middle of the stomach. Although not too sharp, with a large size and sharp edges, foreign objects are at risk of tearing and puncturing the digestive tract, especially if moving down to the small intestine. In severe cases, it can lead to intestinal obstruction, necrosis, and even death if not treated promptly.
Fortunately, the foreign object in this case did not cause damage to the digestive lining. Thanks to timely endoscopic intervention, the hair clip was safely removed, leaving no complications. The child's health is now stable.
According to Dr. Tran Viet Hung - Deputy Director of the Center for Examination of Function and Gastroenterology, children from 6 months to 3 years old are more likely to have an accident when swallowing foreign objects because they tend to explore the world by mouth. Parents need to be especially vigilant, not letting children play with small, sharp or swallowing objects. Items such as chamomile batteries and urinary batteries are even more dangerous because when entering the stomach, they can break up, release toxic chemicals that cause burns, intestinal perforation or poisoning.
Not all foreign objects cause immediate symptoms. When suspecting that a child is swallowing a foreign object, it is necessary to take it to a professional medical facility as soon as possible for safe treatment" - Dr. Hung emphasized. He also warned parents to absolutely not apply folk tips such as forcing them to eat bananas, drink oil or a throat because they can easily cause foreign objects to get deeper or fall into the airway, which is very dangerous.
Doctors recommend: prevention is still the most effective measure. Caring, star monitoring and arranging a safe living environment will help reduce the risk of foreign object-related accidents in young children.
