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A metallic screw lodged in the mouth of a two-year-old Cameroonian child was successfully removed by doctors at KIMSHEALTH Hospital in Umm Al Hassam, highlighting the potential dangers posed by small objects to young children.
Radiographic imaging revealed the object’s location in the lower jaw, near a posterior molar.
Following an intraoral examination, the child was immediately taken to the operating room for the object to be removed, as any displacement could have led to serious complications, including airway obstruction or tissue injury, according to doctors.
KIMSHEALTH Hospital ENT specialist Dr Rijo Mangalasseril described the case as delicate because the small metallic object was lodged in a sensitive area.
“If it had moved or entered the airway, it could have caused serious complications,” he said. “Early diagnosis, accurate radiographic localisation, and a structured intervention in the operating room enabled us to remove it safely.”
Dr Mangalasseril said the case highlighted the risks posed by small objects to young children, who often explore their surroundings by putting things in their mouths.
“I urge parents to keep potentially dangerous items, including screws, batteries and small toy parts, out of children’s reach and to supervise them closely during play,” he said.
“If a foreign body is suspected in the mouth or throat, medical attention should be sought promptly, even if the child appears comfortable,” he added.
KIMSHEALTH advised parents against attempting to remove deeply lodged objects at home, warning that this could push them further into the tissue or cause additional injury. It recommended prompt medical assessment whenever a foreign object is suspected in the mouth, throat or airway.
The hospital also urged parents to choose age-appropriate toys, keep small metallic items and detachable toy parts out of children’s reach, and closely supervise youngsters during play and mealtimes.
The incident follows another case reported recently in the GDN, in which doctors removed a medal emblem that had become lodged in a toddler’s oesophagus, the muscular tube connecting the throat to the stomach.
The object was removed using an endoscope in a procedure performed by Consultant Paediatric Surgeon and Urologist Dr Abdulrahman Al Shafei, who practises at Bahrain Defence Force Hospital and King Hamad University Hospital.
Research by Harvard Medical School suggests that swallowing foreign objects is relatively common among young children, who naturally explore their surroundings by putting things in their mouths. An estimated 20 per cent of children aged between one and three swallow a non-food item at some point. Young children are particularly vulnerable because their teeth and swallowing reflexes are still developing, making it easier for them to accidentally swallow small objects.
Fortunately, around 80pc of smooth, harmless objects such as coins or small toys safely pass through their digestive tract in a few days. Some items, however, can get lodged in the throat.
Parents or caregivers who know or suspect that a child has swallowed a foreign object, particularly a battery or magnet, should call 999 for emergency medical assistance or take the child to the nearest emergency department immediately.
They should not attempt to induce vomiting or force the child to eat or drink in an effort to push the object down.
Where possible, parents should identify the swallowed object and take its packaging, or an identical item, to the hospital to help doctors determine the appropriate course of treatment.
julia@gdnmedia.bh
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