SHANGHAI: An 11-year-old boy in eastern China, who ingested a 100-gram gold bar while playing at home, has captured the attention of mainland social media after being hospitalised.
The precious metal was successfully removed by doctors at a prominent medical centre in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, following surgery in early April, as reported by the Modern Express.
After swallowing the gold bar, the boy, surnamed Qian, informed his parents that he felt a slight swelling in his stomach, though he did not experience any discomfort elsewhere in his body.
Concerned, his parents promptly took him to the Suzhou University Affiliated Children’s Hospital for a thorough check-up.
An X-ray examination revealed a high-density metallic object lodged in the boy’s intestinal tract.
Initially, doctors considered a conservative approach, given that the boy did not exhibit severe symptoms. They prescribed medications to induce diarrhoea, hoping the gold bar would be naturally expelled.
However, after two days passed without any expulsion, a follow-up X-ray confirmed that the foreign object remained stationary within his body.
Due to the increased risk of imminent obstruction or perforation in his intestinal tract, doctors decided to proceed with surgery immediately to remove the gold bar.
Opting for a less invasive method, the surgical team chose an endoscopic foreign object removal technique, which avoids large incisions.
It took just two surgeons half an hour to extract the bar, overcoming challenges due to its substantial size and smooth surface.
Within two days post-operation, the boy was able to resume a normal diet and was soon discharged from the hospital after doctors confirmed he had no lingering symptoms from ingesting the gold bar.
Following the media coverage of the incident, an active discussion erupted on Chinese social media, with many users humorously commenting on the boy’s curious behaviour.
“Did he think it was a chocolate bar?” mused one internet user.
Another wondered: “How did he manage to swallow the gold bar? It’s quite large and hard. I often struggle with swallowing capsules!”
Meanwhile, a third observer raised concerns, stating: “The boy is quite mischievous. His parents should focus on better discipline to prevent such incidents in the future.”
Stories of children swallowing various objects - ranging from coins and button batteries to nails and toy accessories - frequently make headlines in mainland China.
In 2022, a five-year-old boy in northwestern China swallowed a lock measuring 3cm in length and 2cm in width out of curiosity.
Despite medical advice recommending surgery for its removal, his parents opted to wait, believing the lock would eventually pass naturally as he defecated.
Nine days later, they returned to the hospital, distressed to find that the lock remained inside their son’s body, and he was experiencing significant pain.
Doctors managed to extract the lock in just one minute during the surgical procedure. - South China Morning Post
