Doctors left baffled trying to find earring swallowed by a child in rare Munchausen’s case

Doctors puzzled by a child’s swallowed earring find a surprising twist. An unusual case sheds light on Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy.

Doctors were left baffled as they tried to locate an earring swallowed by a child.

The confusing case started when a mother took her daughter to the emergency department and convinced doctors the 14-month-old had swallowed an earring.

But, after several X-rays and examinations, docs discovered that the ‘ring’ had been placed on the outside of the child’s body by her mother.

The mother was diagnosed with Munchausen’s syndrome with proxy – a psychological condition where a person fakes an illness and symptoms in another in their care.

The toddler was rushed to a hospital, in New Jersey, US, by her mother who claimed she’d been unable to stop her daughter from swallowing the earring after which she’d gagged and consequently vomited.

Doctors faced a baffling case as they searched for a swallowed earring in a child, only to discover the mother had placed it on the child's body. The incident led to a diagnosis of Munchausen's syndrome by proxy, prompting intervention from child protection services. — *An X-ray showing the ‘ring’ placed on the outside of the child’s body by her mother. (Picture: Jam Press)*

The docs performed a physical exam on the tot, who had a history of medical issues including pneumonia, but could find no alarming symptoms.

They then ordered radiographs where they saw the culprit – a metal foreign body, presumed to be an earring.

Yet, when they carried out a procedure where they inserted a telescope into the child’s nose to see down her throat, the earring was nowhere to be seen.

Subsequent X-rays did show an object, the child was discharged and her mother was told to keep watch for it passing through, and to come back if any complications should arise.

The next day they were back, with the mother claiming the girl had been crying all night, vomiting, and had not had a bowel movement, despite her giving her laxatives.

To confuse the doctors further, the toddler appeared happy and showed no distress or alarming symptoms.

To get to the bottom of the case, more radiographs were taken and doctors were able to conclude that the earring was present outside of the girl’s body in her mum’s hand – it disappeared thereafter when the hand was out of the picture.

As a result, doctors deduced the mum’s condition.

Following the fiasco, the unusual case was referred to the child protection agency to supervise home visits and assessments, as reported on Need To Know.