SGPGI docs remove peanut lodged in toddler’s airway for 20 days

Lucknow: What appeared to be a stubborn chest infection in a 15-month-old boy from Jaunpur turned out to be something far more dangerous — a peanut lodged deep inside his airway for nearly 20 days.

The child was suffering from persistent cough, fever and breathing distress, and was being treated with medicines for recurring respiratory illness.

But when his condition did not improve, he was referred to SGPGIMS, where doctors found that a foreign object was stuck in his left bronchus and removed it.

The procedure was carried out under the supervision of paediatric surgeon Basant Kumar, pulmonologist Ajmal Khan and anaesthesiologist Sanjay Kumar.

Sharing the case as a reference point to warn parents, SGPGI director Prof RK Dhiman said: “A steady rise in the number of toddlers accidentally inhaling small food items or objects while eating or playing has been recorded.”

Paediatric surgeon Dr Basant Kumar said that many times, the child may not even be able to communicate what happened. The symptoms resemble common respiratory infections, which delays diagnosis. “Small items like peanuts, seeds, coins, buttons and toy parts can slip into a child’s airway and trigger continuous coughing, wheezing, fever or breathing difficulty. If not detected in time, the condition can lead to repeated pneumonia, severe lung infection and even life-threatening complications,” he explained.

Doctors said the child showed rapid improvement after the procedure and appealed to parents to never leave toddlers unattended while eating, especially when consuming nuts or other small food items. They advised caregivers to seek immediate medical attention if a child suddenly develops choking, wheezing, unexplained cough or breathing trouble after eating or playing with small objects.