Korean J Gastrointest Endosc.  1998 Feb;18(1):87-91.

Endoscopic Removal of Gastrointestinal Foreign Bodies in 3 Newborn Infants Immediately after Birth

• Seo JK
• Choe BH

Abstract

Since the introduction of flexible fiberoptic endoscope in clinical medicine from the early 1970s, the size of the caliber has become gradually so smaller and more functional as to be available in children and even in newborn infants. And the indications of gastrointestinal endoscopy have been extended not only to the diagnosis and evaluation of gastrointestinal diseases, but also to the effective management. Foreign body removal is one of the most important indications of therapeutic endoscopy in children. We have successfully removed foreign bodies in 3 newborn infants, using flexible endascope (0; 7.9 mm) without general anesthesia. They were one Nelaton catheter and two DeLee suction catheters which had been incidentaly broken during neonatal routine care in a delivery room. In the case of DeLee suction catheter ingestion, the end of the broken plastic bulb was snared and withdrawn carefully not to injure the esophageal mucosa by its sharp edge. All of the newborn infants got well thereafter and were discharged without any complications. We could avoid the general anesthesia and laparotomy by using flexible endoscope, and these 3 therapeutic endoscopic cases of newborn infants are the youngest patients reported so far. We hereby emphasize that foreign body can be removed easily and safely with routine gastrointestinal endoscope even in newborn infants.

Keyword

Gastrointestinal foreign body; Flexible endoscopy; Newbom

MeSH Terms

Anesthesia, General
Catheters
Child
Clinical Medicine
Delivery Rooms
Diagnosis
Eating
Endoscopes
Endoscopes, Gastrointestinal
Endoscopy
Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal
Foreign Bodies*
Gastrointestinal Diseases
Humans
Infant, Newborn*
Laparotomy
Mucous Membrane
Parturition*
Plastics
SNARE Proteins
Suction
Plastics
SNARE Proteins