Live fish gets stuck in toddler’s throat:Doctor claim third such case in India, child survives after surgery in Indore

In a rare and alarming incident, a one-year-old child accidentally swallowed a live fish while playing at home, which got stuck in his throat and left him struggling to breathe. Speaking with Bhaskar English, A family member said that the incident occurred while they were cleaning an aquarium. The fish were taken out and kept in a net, while children played nearby. One of the children picked up a fish, and seeing this, the toddler began laughing with his mouth wide open. At that moment, the fish slipped from the child’s hand and went straight into the toddler’s mouth, getting lodged in the throat, the family members said. Doctors of Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital has successfully removed the fish and claimed that this is the third such reported case in India and the first from central India. Child rushed in critical condition The family immediately took the child to MY Hospital, where doctors found him in a critical state. He was facing severe breathing difficulty, along with restlessness, anxiety, and bleeding from the mouth. Considering the seriousness, the ENT department activated an emergency response and prepared for immediate surgery. ENT department head Dr Yamini Gupta led the procedure. Doctors said the biggest challenge was that the fish was alive and moving, which increased the risk of injury to the voice box and food pipe. The surgical team included Dr Varsha Rathi, Dr Prem Prakash Dhurve and Dr Surendra Pal. The fish was successfully removed after careful intervention. Fish measured three inches, child stable now Doctors identified the fish as a gourami, measuring around three inches in length and one-and-a-half inches in width. After the surgery, the child’s breathing returned to normal and his condition is now stable. Timely treatment helped avert a potentially fatal outcome. Experts advise caution for parents Medical experts warned that such incidents can be extremely dangerous in young children due to their narrow airways. Even a slight obstruction can become life-threatening. Parents have been advised to keep small or live objects away from children and ensure constant supervision. Similar incident in Odisha turns fatal In a recent case on April 4 in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, a youth died after a fish got stuck in his throat while fishing. He had reportedly held the fish in his mouth to prevent it from slipping, but it accidentally went down his throat, leading to his death.