Teen Hospitalized After Accidentally Swallowing Hijab Pin

A 16-and-a-half-year-old girl was urgently transported to Poriya Medical Center (Ziv Medical Center) after accidentally swallowing a hijab pin. The pin had been placed between her lips while she was adjusting her headscarf. Abdominal imaging revealed the pin lodged in her stomach without moving. She was taken to the operating room where doctors successfully removed the pin using an endoscopic procedure. Doctors issued a warning, stating, "This is a known and dangerous phenomenon, as the sharp pin can perforate the digestive tract wall and pose a life-threatening risk."

The girl arrived at the pediatric emergency room complaining of mild abdominal pain and discomfort, but showed no unusual signs of an emergency. However, an abdominal X-ray clearly showed the outline of a pin in her upper abdomen. She was immediately put on strict fasting. A follow-up scan confirmed the foreign object remained in place. Given the risks, an urgent endoscopic intervention was decided upon.

Dr. Shadi Artool, director of the pediatric gastroenterology unit, who performed the procedure, explained, "During the gastroscopy, the pin was found to be deeply embedded in the stomach wall. This was a very sensitive and dangerous situation; the pin's presence threatened to cause perforations due to normal stomach contractions or any movement by the patient." He added that the operation required extreme precision to carefully maneuver the extraction tools. Using specialized endoscopic equipment, the pin was safely grasped, detached from the stomach wall, and removed without complications. The girl was transferred to the ward for observation and is recovering well.

Despite the positive outcome, Ziv Medical Center emphasized that this is not an isolated incident but a recurring and concerning phenomenon among girls and women in the Arab community. Dr. Said Abu Zeid, director of pediatrics, stated, "Medically, swallowing a sharp object poses a tangible risk of damaging the mucous membranes or the digestive tract wall, potentially leading to complications that may even require surgery." To prevent similar cases, the center advises girls and women to adopt safer practices when arranging headscarves, such as refraining from placing pins in their mouths and using a dedicated pin cushion or placing them on a stable surface.