Israeli Clinic Saves One-Month-Old Baby Who Choked on Vitamin Drop Bottle Cap

A dramatic incident unfolded recently at a Clalit clinic in Hura, southern Israel, when a one-and-a-half-month-old infant arrived in severe respiratory distress after choking on a piece of plastic. The baby’s mother, accompanied by over 25 family members, rushed to the clinic around 11:00 a.m. holding her lifeless, blue-colored child who had stopped breathing. The mother reported having given the baby vitamin D drops moments before the choking began.

Nurse Fadwa Abulqian, who was present at the clinic, immediately performed life-saving back blows on the infant, a standard procedure for suspected foreign body airway obstruction in infants. This action dislodged a white plastic ring, identified as the cap from the vitamin D drop bottle, which had been accidentally inhaled and blocked the baby’s airway. The nurse explained that the plastic piece likely detached when the mother administered the drops directly from the bottle into the baby’s mouth without using a spoon.

Following the removal of the obstruction, the infant quickly recovered, regaining normal color and breathing, with oxygen saturation rising to 100%. The baby remained under close medical supervision at the clinic until fully stabilized. The clinic staff also provided emotional support to the distressed mother and family.

Dr. Yosef Al-Atrash, the clinic director and family medicine specialist who oversaw the treatment, emphasized the importance of safe administration of vitamins and medications to infants. He warned parents against dripping liquids directly from bottles into babies’ mouths, recommending instead to first dispense the dose into a spoon. This practice prevents choking hazards from packaging parts and ensures accurate dosing, potentially saving lives.

The incident highlights a critical safety message for caregivers to avoid direct bottle feeding of drops to infants to prevent similar life-threatening events.