Baby's life saved after large metal object found stuck in her throat

The family approached a doctor in the community to help diagnose the newborn, who classified the issue as being mild shortness of breath and prescribed her steroids.

The 8-month-old with her parents after receeiving medical care, Assuta Ashdod Hospital (photo credit: Courtesy)
The 8-month-old with her parents after receeiving medical care, Assuta Ashdod Hospital
(photo credit: Courtesy)

An 8-month-old baby girl received life-saving medical treatment at Assuta Ashdod Hospital after suffering from stridor breathing episodes.

Stridor breathing is typically characterized by high-pitched wheezing sounds caused by a disrupted airway. The infant had been experiencing symptoms of the breathing episodes eight days prior to receiving medical care.
The family approached a doctor in the community to help diagnose the infant. The doctor classified the issue as being mild shortness of breath and prescribed her steroids.
The steroids improved the infant girl's condition slightly. However, after no significant improvement, the administration of the drug was terminated and her condition continued to worsen.
The family then decided to take the infant to the emergency room at Assuta. Upon reception, she was sent for a chest X-ray and doctors identified a large metal object around 1.5cm² lodged in her trachea.
Upon discovery of the metal object, the infant was sent to the operating room for emergency surgery led by Dr. Avnat Tamir and Dr. Shamain of the Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery and the Department of Anesthesia at Assuta Ashdod.
After a "complex and lengthy operation," the surgeons removed the object and then sent the infant to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for recovery after being anesthetized and resuscitated.
The baby woke up after three days, and was weaned off life support. Her condition is now stable, and she will be released to her home in the coming days.
"I would like to thank the hospital staff, all without exception; we received amazing and life-saving treatment," said the infant's mother. "Beyond the fact that this is a leading hospital, I have no doubt in the fact that the team of female professionals who treated us with extraordinary dedication and sensitivity, helped with the treatment."