Generally toddlers or children up to 5 years of age are very curious and they have a habit to eat everything they find on floor just out of curiosity. When they swallow any foreign body, like a coin, a safety pin, nail or anything which is harmful it can become a dangerous situation. It should not be taken lightly by the parents and they should not think that the foreign object will be naturally removed from the gut in the stools which may not be the case every time. Because there are some objects which if stuck in the intestine of small children can harm their intestine. So in such cases a delay may put the lives of children in danger. As soon as the parents come to know that the child has swallowed a foreign object they should approach a doctor.
Dr. Prateek Padole Head of Department, Gastroenterology at KRIMS Hospital, suggest that such incidents should not be taken lightly and reported immediately. He informed that their department has been seeing 5-6 such cases every month. When such cases are reported we ask the parents not to be scared. Because many a times such foreign objects swallowed by children could be easily removed by via an Endoscope. Endoscopy is a easy non –invasive procedure which helps to see the inside lining of our stomach and digestive system. If the foreign object is found in the endoscope it can be easily removed by using specific accessories. This is better possible when the patients present early after ingestion of the foreign body. It may be noted that sometimes if foreign body is not removed it can damage the digestive track.
Dr. Prateek Padole has been an excellent student and academician throughout. After completing his MBBS from the prestigious KEM Hospital in Mumbai, he post graduated in Internal Medicine from Sion Hospital, Mumbai. He is MRCP and ESEGH from UK.
Dr. Prateek Padole is trained in treating all kinds of liver disorders, stomach and gut disorders with special experience in therapeutic and advanced endoscopy. He has more than 7 years of experience in treating complicated gastrointestinal disorders including critical care management. Evidence-based and patient-centric care is what he is aiming for.