Stunned doctors thought baby had mouth tumour until discovering alarming truth
A mum who spotted something strange in her baby son's mouth took him to doctors who were worried he'd developed a tumour until they realised exactly what the lump was.
Utah woman Rowan Steiner had been changing the nappy of her nine-month-old son Max when he started crying and she noticed a lump inside his mouth.
She took her baby directly to the doctors, and the 30-year-old mum said they were utterly bewildered about what the lump might be as they said they'd 'never seen anything like it'.
Young Max was referred to a dentist and paediatric oral surgeon who both also couldn't figure out what the blue-coloured lump was supposed to be, and suggested that it might be a vascular tumour.
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The baby was prepared for a CT scan but just before Max was due to be examined another doctor had a look at the lump and suggested it might be a man-made object rather than a sign of sickness.
He used a dental tool to examine the edge of this unknown thing and it popped right off, as it turned out the suspected tumour had actually been part of a fidget toy which Max's mum had bought for one of her other children.
Rowan said: "The head of the department used a dental pick and pried off the edge and it popped off. It was super violent and there was blood underneath because it had sucked on to his gum so tightly.
"Then there was swelling around the edges to the point where people couldn't see the edges of the toy. It was suctioned so tightly that it just wasn't moving when people were touching it and feeling it.
"Throughout the day the doctors had mentioned it could be a toy. We were totally open to the idea because I have five children and a nine-month-old wants to put everything in their mouth at that stage."
She said that while there had been suggestions that it might be a toy she never expected it to be part of a fidget toy, but once she learned what it was the mum said it was the 'best possible outcome' after the idea it might be a tumour was on the table.
The mum explained that she, the boy's dad and various doctors all touched the toy component at various points before the department head removed it and confirmed what it was.
Rowan said she was glad it didn't turn out to be a tumour and her son didn't choke on the small object in his mouth.
She said: "Ultimately just be really careful, especially with younger kids. I know the one that we bought was a cheaper brand from Amazon.
"I know there are some thicker, higher quality brands but definitely keep an eye out, make sure that they're in one piece when they're playing with it."
Joe Harker