A five-year-old girl in northern China was hospitalised after accidentally swallowing a solid gold bar while playing at home, in an incident that triggered a mix of concern and viral online jokes. The gold bar, measuring about 4cm in length and weighing 50 grams, became lodged in the girl's stomach and required an emergency medical procedure to remove.
Incident and Medical Response
The girl was brought to Beijing Children's Hospital, affiliated with Capital Medicine University, where the case was treated on August 16. According to the South China Morning Post, she arrived six hours after swallowing the bar. An X-ray revealed that the bar remained lodged in her stomach.
The hospital reported that the girl was in a critical condition, as the gold bar's hard, dense, and smooth surface posed a high risk of becoming stuck in the digestive tract, potentially scratching the stomach lining and leading to severe complications such as perforation and significant bleeding.
Before going to the hospital, the family had visited several clinics, but none had the facilities for emergency endoscopic removal of foreign objects, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
Surgical Procedure and Recovery
Doctors performed an intraoperative endoscopy, a procedure in which a long, thin, flexible tube fitted with a camera is passed down the throat and into the stomach. The Daily Star reported that the parents agreed with medical staff at Beijing Children's Hospital to undergo this emergency endoscopic removal.
During the procedure, the gold bar was found lodged in the girl's gastric cavity. The Daily Star noted that doctors spent several minutes carefully removing the foreign object. The South China Morning Post reported that the operating conditions were extremely narrow, and a minor mistake could have damaged the digestive tract lining.
The child has since made a full recovery, according to The Daily Star.
Context and Online Reaction
The incident, reported by both The Daily Star and the South China Morning Post, has drawn attention not only for the medical risk but also for the unusual nature of the object swallowed. The South China Morning Post noted that the story sparked viral jokes online, with some commenting that the girl took the mainland Chinese nickname for children – "gold-devouring beasts" – far too literally.
The Daily Star also referenced a tragic 2024 case as a cautionary reminder of the dangers of children swallowing small objects. Eight-year-old Rhys Millum from Harrogate died after swallowing 10 toy magnets. At an inquest at Northallerton Coroner's Court, Coroner Catherine Cundy gave a conclusion of 'misadventure' and was quoted as saying she 'hopes the tragedy of Rhys's death will' (the quote was incomplete in the provided text). The Daily Star reported that the youngster had begun complaining of stomach aches two days before his death and was initially diagnosed with a suspected infection and sent home.
The gold bar's value was estimated at approximately £5,300, a figure reported by The Daily Star.