Abstract

Ingestion of a foreign body is very rare in newborn infants. Ingestion of the endotracheal tube during nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment in low birth weight preterm infants is even rarer. A preterm male infant who underwent nasal CPAP treatment on the first postnatal day for prematurity and respiratory insufficiency was found to ingest the distal part of the entubation tube. Direct radiography showed the tube residing between the lower end of the esophagus and the entrance of the stomach. Upon no signs of displacement at the end of 12 hours, it was removed via a pediatric esophagoscope. Nasal CPAP treatment was performed for two more days, after which his respiratory insufficiency improved. He was discharged on the 32nd postnatal day.