Coins, Hijab pins and batteries: What your toddler swallows when you aren't looking

Rihan, aged 2 years and 1 month, was playing with a red toy car on 18 October. Suddenly, a wheel on the toy car came off, revealing a small metal washer inside. The toddler accidentally swallowed the washer, leading to difficulties with eating.

Rihan's parents consulted a local doctor in Brahmanbaria, who recommended an X-ray to determine the washer's location. Following the unsettling revelation, the parents embarked on a four-day journey from one hospital to another, seeking a solution.

Follow The Business Standard Google Channel for all the latest news

After days of effort, Rihan was finally admitted to a private hospital in Dhaka. From there, he was shifted to the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute (formerly known as Dhaka Shishu Hospital) on 23 October. The Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at the hospital acted swiftly to perform an endoscopy procedure.

In a four-minute endoscopy procedure, they successfully extracted the foreign object from Rihan's oesophagus. Thanks to the expertise of doctors, Rihan has made a full recovery and is now safely back at home.

In a similar incident in August, Tahsin, a two-and-a-half-year-old from Gazipur, swallowed a Tk2 coin while playing. His family rushed him to the hospital, where an X-ray confirmed the coin's presence in his oesophagus. Doctors at the Shishu Hospital conducted an endoscopy procedure, safely extracting the coin from Tahsin's oesophagus.

These two cases are not isolated. Every month, several children arrive at hospitals like Shishu Hospital, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, and Sheikh Russell Gastoliver Hospital after ingesting various items, including coins, hijab pins, and keys. This alarming trend of children consuming harmful substances is heightening the risk of long-term illness and even mortality among them.

A foreign body is something that is stuck inside you but isn't supposed to be there and it can cause a medical emergency that needs immediate attention.

Medical professionals advised parents to exercise vigilance to prevent their children from accessing these items.

The Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition reports a concerning trend in child hospitalisations, with one to two children being admitted each month to Dhaka Shishu Hospital due to the ingestion of harmful substances. They collect data on the items children ingest, and their findings reveal foreign objects, including coins, keys, hijab pins, earrings, hair bands, and batteries.

Notably, this issue isn't limited to Shishu Hospital alone; Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Sheikh Russel National Gastroliver Institute and Hospital have also witnessed over 50 cases this year.

Dr Salauddin Mahmud, an Associate Professor of Pediatric Gastroenterology, underscores the grave dangers associated with foreign bodies ingested by children, emphasising the allure of small, round, and slick items like amulets, hijab pins, nails, magnets, coins, keys, and button batteries. He stresses the importance of safeguarding these materials out of children's reach.

He particularly highlights the risks associated with hijab pins, which are often stored in easily accessible places, leading to accidental ingestion by children. Retrieving these pins can be extremely challenging once ingested. Additionally, the ingestion of lithium batteries can have severe consequences, as they release acidic substances that can lead to digestive tract ulcers, even after removal.

The majority of cases involve children under 5 years of age, necessitating surgical intervention in previous times. However, modern endoscopy techniques now allow for safer substance extraction.

Professor Dr Jahangir Alam, director of Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute, urges parents to be proactive in ensuring their children's safety, as young children tend to ingest objects within their reach without realising the potential harm. Swift medical attention is vital to prevent tragic consequences in such cases.