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 virus or asthma, but the symptoms persisted. She emphasized the importance of considering a foreign body in infants when symptoms do not resolve over time, especially since babies cannot communicate what happened.

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

After the removal, the infant received antibiotics, acid-reducing medications, steroids, and inhalations, and was initially fed through a feeding tube to allow the esophagus to heal. The hospital highlighted the case to raise awareness about the dangers of foreign body ingestion in infants and children, urging caregivers to consider this possibility when symptoms persist without explanation.