Needle stuck in Mumbai infant’s thigh extracted after 19 days

Parents suspect the needle entered his body after a vaccine dose that had been administered on June 10

Doctors at BJ Wadia Hospital in Parel, extracted a two-centimetre needle last week that had been lodged in a six-week-old baby’s left thigh. The parents suspect the needle entered his body after a vaccine dose that had been administered on June 10. The baby was recently discharged, following a complete recovery, after the procedure on July 10.

The needle remained undetected for 19 days, as the parents and doctors mistook the swelling on the baby’s thigh for bone inflammation. (Photo courtesy: Wadia hospital)

Born to Chembur residents Jairaj and Aastha Gaikwad, the infant was taken to a nursing home in Panvel for vaccination three days after he was born. The needle remained undetected for 19 days, as both the parents and doctors mistook the swelling in the baby’s thigh for osteomyelitis (inflammation of bone caused by infection, generally in the legs, arm or spine).

After the baby developed a high fever, he was then taken to a local paediatrician who recommended that an X-ray and ultrasound be carried out. “We admitted him to Wadia hospital on June 29. When the doctors saw the X-ray, they were surprised to find a foreign body in his left buttock region,” said Jairaj.

Multiple X-rays were conducted to determine the exact location of the needle in the body, and it took doctors two hours to remove the needle under C-arm guidance (specialised X-ray) localisation.

Dr Pradnya Bendre, paediatric surgeon, said that the boy was lucky that the needle didn’t cause any harm despite being in the body for 19 days.

The parents said that they hadn’t yet thought of a name for the baby. “We had thought of a few names earlier. But now, looking at his ability to survive, we will name him something that reflects his fighter’s spirit,” said Aastha.