Six-Month-Old Baby Found With Staple Pins Stuck in Esophagus After Breathing Issues

A six-month-old infant was hospitalized at Assuta Ashdod Public Hospital after suffering from persistent cough, shortness of breath, and vomiting for about six weeks. Despite multiple treatments with inhalations and medications, the baby's condition did not improve. Upon arrival at the emergency room, an X-ray revealed a cluster of staple pins lodged in the esophagus, with some pins embedded in the esophageal wall.

Dr. Hani Oliveston, head of the pediatric gastroenterology unit at Assuta Ashdod, explained that the baby had been treated as if suffering from a viral infection or asthma, but the symptoms persisted. She emphasized the importance of considering a foreign body in infants who cannot communicate their condition when symptoms do not resolve over time.

Due to the location of the pins and the baby's deteriorating respiratory state, an urgent surgery was performed involving gastroenterology, ENT, pulmonology, and anesthesia teams. The procedure lasted about an hour and a half, during which the pins were carefully removed one by one. Some pins were deeply embedded, causing inflammation, swelling, and infection in the esophagus. Dr. Oliveston noted the baby was already in a compromised respiratory condition, which posed a serious risk.

Following the surgery, the infant received antibiotics, acid-reducing medication, steroids, and inhalations, and was initially fed via a feeding tube to allow the esophagus to heal. The medical team highlighted the case as a warning about the dangers of foreign body ingestion in infants and stressed that persistent unexplained symptoms should prompt investigation for such causes, as the X-ray ultimately revealed the problem.