SINGAPORE: A woman recently took to social media to share that she discovered a “sharp small screw” in a plate of vegetarian mixed rice and expressed her fear that her son could have swallowed it if she hadn’t noticed it in time.
“Today bought Vegetables rice From – kimly vegetables rice 🍚 it’s very scary for my son almost swallowed a sharp small screw 🔩 😳😧,” Ms Chérie Woon Quin wrote on Facebook Group COMPLAINT SINGAPORE on Wednesday (10 Jan).
Ms Quin also shared photos of the meal on her post, one of which showed the silver screw covered in rice and hardly visible.
Foreign body ingestions are common cases for children, but in this case, the sharp object can become stuck and lead to a puncture in the digestive tract, thus requiring urgent removal.
Also, they can damage the esophagus’ thin walls and cause bleeding. The esophagus and the mediastinum may also become infected if the tear is large.
Netizens: “Screw must be from pot or frying pan”
The post was also shared in another Facebook Group, ‘Singapore Incidents’, and netizens there suspected that the screw must have originated from a pot or frying pan and urged her to inform the store.
“Screw must be from the pot or frying pan lah,” one netizen wrote.
“Do forget to call the outlet and inform them about these issues,” another netizen added.
Another netizen also shared that she had a similar case in the past, “I never post it ,it happen to me also Fish Bihon soup, im in Finishing it i see screw, i just talk to the owner and be mindful nextime, inside using HP while eating all eyes to our food especially Children ..sometimes error boss dont know.”
Similar case in another country
Surprisingly, metal screws are included in the list of the most commonly found foreign objects in meals, in addition to insects, rodents, animal hair, plastic, wood, paper, and glass.
Seven months ago, a similar case in another country was reported on Reddit. A man had his food delivered through doordash, and, upon opening it, he discovered a small screw in his meal.
What steps can I take to help my child manage or avoid ingesting foreign bodies?
Pay attention to your child. Check his food for foreign objects before feeding him/her.
Search for the object every time your child has a bowel movement. Most small or smooth things go through the digestive tract and come out in a bowel movement without a hitch. Don’t give your child laxatives, or stool softeners, or make them vomit.
Seek immediate care. If your child suddenly doesn’t want to eat, is irritable, drooling, or vomiting, you should be open to the possibility that he or she might have ingested a foreign object. In addition, if your child has bloody vomit, rectal bleeding, abdominal or chest pain, or feels like something is “stuck,” you should take them to the hospital.