Source:Xiaoxiang Morning Post
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In traditional customs, joyous occasions in life are always accompanied by gold jewelry, such as gold bracelets, gold lockets, gold rings, and gold necklaces… Each piece is cherished by everyone. However, when giving children gold jewelry, safety must be a priority!
Dr. Liu Hong, head of the pediatric gastroenterology department at Guangdong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, suddenly received an emergency call: a one-month-old baby girl in Maoming had accidentally swallowed a gold ring, and it could not be retrieved…On the baby’s full moon day, she accidentally swallowed a gold ring.It turned out that on the full moon day of the baby named Keke (a pseudonym), her family followed local traditions and adorned her with five gold rings representing auspicious blessings. However, during playtime, one of the rings accidentally fell into little Keke’s mouth and was swallowed!
The parents quickly tried to make Keke vomit, pat her back, and induce gagging… using all their efforts, but to no avail. They hurriedly took her to a nearby hospital, where X-ray examination showed that the ring was located in the upper esophagus. The local hospital attempted various methods but could not retrieve the ring stuck in the esophagus. Since Keke was only one month old, the difficulty of performing an endoscopy was high. After communicating with Dr. Liu Hong, they decided to urgently transfer the child to the provincial maternal and child health hospital’s pediatric gastroenterology department.
The doctor successfully retrieved the ring in just 10 seconds.Considering the child’s young age, the esophageal mucosa is thin and delicate, and the lumen is relatively narrow, making it easy for foreign objects to cause risks such as ulcers, perforation, and bleeding. The provincial maternal and child health hospital opened a green channel for emergency surgery, collaborating with the anesthesia department and the digestive endoscopy center to perform a superfine endoscopic foreign body removal procedure. With the seamless cooperation of the anesthesia and digestive endoscopy nursing teams, Dr. Liu successfully “disarmed” the “time bomb” in Keke’s esophagus in just 10 seconds.After removing the gold ring, Dr. Liu carefully examined Keke’s esophagus with the superfine endoscope. Due to the foreign body impaction, the esophageal mucosa had inevitably sustained some damage, but fortunately, there was no perforation or severe bleeding. The parents’ worries were finally alleviated.
It is understood that the foreign body removal surgery performed on Keke was conducted using pediatric digestive endoscopy techniques managed at level four. The endoscope used is currently the smallest therapeutic endoscope in the world, with a diameter of only 5mm, smaller than the cross-section of a pencil. Currently, the department treats approximately 100 cases of digestive tract foreign bodies each year, of which over 60 cases require endoscopic removal.
Preventing foreign body ingestion is primarily about prevention.Dr. Liu stated that children have poor discernment of danger and are naturally inclined to explore things with their mouths, which leads to frequent incidents of foreign body ingestion in children, especially between the ages of 1-5, particularly in infants and toddlers.“Ingesting foreign bodies is very dangerous for children. Infants, especially newborns, have an esophageal diameter of only 6-8mm, and the esophageal mucosa is thin and delicate. The risk of complications from foreign body impaction is high, and a slight misstep can easily lead to perforation, aspiration of the foreign body into the trachea causing choking, and even death.” Dr. Liu reminded that generally, most children who accidentally swallow foreign bodies may exhibit symptoms such as dry heaving, increased salivation, and foaming at the mouth. If any abnormal symptoms occur, parents must promptly take their children to the hospital for professional medical assistance.To prevent children from swallowing foreign objects, the focus should be on prevention. Dr. Liu recommends:On one hand, parents should strengthen supervision of children, keeping small items like coins, hairpins, batteries, screws, and other sharp or corrosive dangerous items out of reach of children. Parents and infants are also advised not to wear necklaces, rings, or other jewelry;On the other hand, when feeding children, it is important to cultivate the habit of chewing slowly and thoroughly. During meals, avoid activities and distractions that may lead to poor eating habits. For infants with underdeveloped molars or a history of esophageal narrowing, it is not recommended to feed whole nuts, beans, or other hard-to-chew foods directly.In recent years, more and more parents have been gifting jewelry to children during important festivals, but when giving jewelry, it should not only be about appearance. For older children, there are also considerations when gifting jewelry.
What considerations should be taken when gifting jewelry to babies?1. It should preferably be made of pure gold, pure silver, jade, or Hetian jade, which will not harm the baby’s sensitive skin and are healthy materials.2. Do not be tempted to buy cheap jewelry from street vendors while traveling; instead, purchase from reputable jewelry counters. Ensure that the jewelry has an “identity card”; each qualified silver jewelry piece generally comes with a certificate issued by an authoritative institution, so be sure to check carefully when purchasing;3. Always feel the jewelry to check for good sealing, secure welding, and no broken edges or rough edges. Additionally, check for easily detachable clasps;5. Jewelry should avoid excessive small beads; if such jewelry breaks, the beads can scatter, posing a risk of accidental ingestion by the baby, which is particularly dangerous. Therefore, when giving bead jewelry to babies, be sure to pay attention.6. Children’s skin is more delicate than adults, and multi-angled jewelry can irritate and rub against the skin. Smoothly shaped jewelry is safer and more suitable for children to wear.7. Young children should not wear expensive jewelry as it is easy to lose. Furthermore, if children wear valuable jewelry while out, it may attract unwanted attention from criminals. Expensive jewelry can be worn when the child is older. Silver jewelry is best worn after the baby is over three months old, while gold jewelry is recommended for children over one year old.8. Regularly take the jewelry to the counter for cleaning, as most counters offer free cleaning services, which is also a responsible act towards the child.~END~