Toddler Accidentally Ingests Eight Needles; Parent Cites Work Distraction as Factor

By Telita Montales , Parent Herald Sep 15, 11:03 am

Photo: (Photo : Diana Polekhina on Unsplash)

In a harrowing ordeal that has shaken a community in Peru and stands as a cautionary tale for parents everywhere, a two-year-old boy faced life-threatening surgery to remove eight needles he had swallowed. The incident took place on a farm in the province of Mariscal Cáceres, where the child's single mother, Narly Olórtegui Pisco, was employed.

The Unfolding of a Medical Crisis

The toddler was taken to Hospital II-2 in Tarapoto as soon as the incident was discovered. An X-ray of his abdomen revealed a stomach-churning sight: eight needles lodged at various locations. The precarious positioning of the needles made the surgery a high-risk procedure.

Two were found in the peritoneum, which lines the abdominal cavity; three were on the left side; one was in the abdominal wall; and two were perilously located between the bladder and the rectum, according to a statement released by the regional government.

"It was a high-stakes operation that required pinpoint precision," said Dr. Efrain Salazar Tito, who led the surgical team. The surgery took just under two hours, but for the medical team and the child's family, it felt like a lifetime. "Getting them out cost me a little, but we did it with the support of the Lord. We even managed to get the bottom ones out," Dr. Tito told CEN.

Narly Olórtegui Pisco faced the agonizing reality that many single parents encounter: having to bring her child to her workplace due to the lack of alternative childcare options. Working on a farm where needles used for livestock injections were present posed an inherent risk. Pisco expressed deep remorse and concern, stating that she was busy with her job duties and failed to notice her son's perilous activity.

"Sometimes children put anything in their mouths when they crawl or when they begin to walk. I was focused on my work and didn't see it happening," she explained.

Pisco has been very vocal about her immense gratitude to the medical team for their timely intervention. She sees the incident as an excruciating lesson learned and hopes it serves as a warning to other parents about the importance of constant vigilance.

"If it had not been for their prompt surgical actions, my son's health could have deteriorated drastically, changing the outcome entirely," she expressed.

Ongoing Investigations and Community Reaction

The baffling nature of the incident led the medical team to report it to local authorities, as they couldn't fathom how a child could end up swallowing so many needles. An investigation is currently ongoing, raising questions about child safety and potential neglect or mistreatment, as reported by CEN.

While it is not uncommon for children to be taken to emergency rooms for swallowing foreign objects, the extreme nature of this case has reverberated far beyond the local community. Just recently, another young boy faced a medical emergency when doctors discovered a magnetic bracelet in his stomach. Such incidents underscore the need for heightened awareness among parents and caregivers, emphasizing the critical importance of child supervision, particularly in environments fraught with potential hazards.

This troubling event is a stark reminder of the myriad dangers that can lurk in everyday settings and how a momentary lapse in attention can lead to life-threatening consequences. It also highlights the irreplaceable role of timely medical intervention in saving lives, particularly those of vulnerable young children.