Chinese toddler, 1, with chronic cough found to have needle stuck in heart

The parents of a one-year-old child who was coughing non-stop were shocked to find a 4.5cm needle stuck in her heart.

According to China Press, the needle was detected when the couple, surnamed Xie, sent their daughter for a check up in a hospital in Wuhan, China, on June 26 after she showed signs of a fever.

Two X-rays revealed a foreign object embedded in the child's chest cavity, reported Taiwan's China Times.

Her mother later told the hospital's cardiovascular surgeon that the object looked like a needle that she regularly uses.

After removing the needle, doctors concluded that the 2mm-diameter needle had been stuck in the child’s left heart ventricle for quite some time as it appeared rusty.

The girl, named Chenchen, is recovering well in hospital, according to the report.

candicec@sph.com.sg