A 10 month old baby boy is recovering after doctors at Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital (LMUTH) successfully removed four coins from his oesophagus during an emergency endoscopic procedure.
According to the hospital, the infant was rushed to LMUTH after he was suspected to have swallowed a K2 coin. An X-ray initially appeared to show only one coin.
However, during the procedure, doctors discovered that what appeared to be a single coin was actually four coins tightly lodged together comprising two K1 coins, one 50 ngwee coin and one K5 coin, with a total value of K7.50.
The hospital has urged parents and caregivers to keep coins, batteries and other small objects out of the reach of young children, noting that babies and toddlers often explore their surroundings by putting objects into their mouths.
By Cherish Sibote
