In a series of unusual medical emergencies, Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa treated three young children for swallowing foreign objects over just three days. The incidents highlight the ongoing dangers of small objects in households with young children.
The most alarming case involved a 5-year-old boy from northern Israel who swallowed a 7.5 cm (3 inch) electronic device antenna.
Dr. Jamal Garah, a senior physician at the hospital's Institute of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, led a team in successfully removing the antenna. "An object constructed this way, if swallowed, would be unable exit the child's body naturally without causing life-threatening damage," a hospital spokesperson explained.
In another incident, a two-year-old from the Haifa area arrived at the emergency room with difficulty eating and drinking. After sedation, staff discovered and removed a piece of plastic, likely from a mineral water bottle seal, lodged deep in the child's tongue base.
The third case involved an 8-month-old who had swallowed modeling clay. Prof. Ron Shaoul, Director of the Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Institute, described how the team had to intervene when the clay didn't pass naturally. "We found part of the clay in the throat and part in the baby's airways," he said. The material was removed using a camera-guided endoscope.
Sulapha Hamaysi, head nurse at the Pediatric Gastroenterology Institute, used these incidents to emphasize the importance of child safety. "We have a cabinet where we keep all these objects after they've been removed from our patients," she said. "The goal is to raise awareness about the danger of swallowing foreign objects. It's one of the most common hazards in the home environment."
The hospital displays this unusual collection to parents and medical staff, hoping to reduce such incidents in the future. "Please, watch over your children," Hamaysi urged.
