Indore News: Toddler Swallows Live Fish; MYH Docs Perform Rare Surgery To Save Him
· Free Press Journal
Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In a rare and alarming incident, a one-year-old child accidentally swallowed a live fish while playing at home, leaving him gasping for breath and in critical condition.
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The incident occurred when family members were cleaning an aquarium, turning a routine household activity into a life-threatening emergency.
According to family members, the fish had been taken out of the aquarium and placed in a net, while children were playing nearby. One of the children picked up a live fish, and the toddler, amused by the scene, began laughing with his mouth wide open. In a split second, the slippery fish slipped from the child’s hand and went straight into the toddler’s mouth, getting stuck in his throat.
Panic gripped the household as the child struggled to breathe. He was immediately rushed to Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital (MY Hospital), where doctors found him in a critical state. The toddler was experiencing severe breathing distress, restlessness, anxiety, and even bleeding from the mouth—signs of a potentially fatal airway obstruction.
Recognising the gravity of the situation, the ENT Department sprang into action and prepared for emergency surgery. The procedure was led by Dr Yamini Gupta, head of the department, along with a team comprising Dr Varsha Rathi, Dr Prem Prakash Dhurve, and Dr Surendra Pal.
Doctors later revealed that the biggest challenge during the operation was that the fish was still alive and moving inside the child’s throat. This significantly increased the risk of injury to vital structures such as the voice box and food pipe. Despite the complexities, the surgical team successfully removed the fish through a carefully executed intervention.
The fish was identified as a gourami, measuring approximately three inches in length and one-and-a-half inches in width. Following the surgery, the child’s breathing returned to normal, and his condition has now stabilised. Doctors said that timely medical intervention played a crucial role in preventing a tragic outcome.
Medical experts highlighted that such incidents, though rare, can be extremely dangerous in young children due to their narrow airways. Even minor obstructions can quickly become life-threatening. They have urged parents to exercise extreme caution, keep small or live objects away from children, and provide constant supervision during playtime.
Interestingly, doctors at the hospital noted that this is the third such reported case in India and the first from central India, underlining the unusual nature of the incident.
In a grim reminder of the risks, a similar incident recently turned fatal in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district on April 4. A youth died after a fish got stuck in his throat while fishing. Reports suggest he had placed the fish in his mouth to prevent it from slipping, but it accidentally slid down his throat, leading to his death.
The Indore case, however, ended on a positive note, thanks to swift action by the family and the expertise of doctors, serving as both a warning and a lesson for parents to remain vigilant at all times.
HIGHLIGHTS
Incident: A one-year-old accidentally swallowed a live gouramifish while playing near an aquarium
Surgery: ENT doctors at MY Hospital perform emergency surgery to remove the three-inch moving fish
Risks: The moving fish threatened the toddler’s voice box and food pipe, causing severe bleeding