A two-year-old baby boy was successfully treated by doctors in Pune after accidentally ingesting acetic acid, a corrosive household cleaning chemical that caused severe burns to his mouth, food pipe, chest, genitals and groin.
It all happened on this Children’s Day, when the two-year-old boy from Satara, met a life-threatening emergency when he accidentally ingested acetic acid, turning an ordinary day for his family into a nightmare within minutes. The corrosive liquid stored in a drinking water bottle burned his lips, oral cavity and food pipe and left painful chemical injuries on his chest and groin.
As the child gasped for breath, crying in severe pain, his frightened parents watched helplessly, unable to understand what was happening or how their playful toddler had suddenly slipped into danger.
He was immediately taken to a hospital in Satara, where Dr Ghorpade recognised the severity of the situation. Understanding that every minute mattered, he stabilised the toddler and urgently arranged a referral for higher-level pediatric care.
The team from Ankura Hospital For Women and Children in Aundh in Pune travelled to Satara, with their specialised ambulance securing the child on ventilator support and ensuring continuous monitoring through the high-risk journey.
The toddler was successfully treated by Dr Milind Jambagi and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) team, who ensured timely stabilisation, safe ventilated transport from Satara, and comprehensive management of his airway, internal injuries, and chemical burns.
The team was able to control further complications and guide the child to a safe and steady recovery through precise endoscopic evaluation and round-the-clock pediatric critical care.
Dr Jambagi said, “On arrival, Arjun had scald burns over the body and his oral cavity revealed corrosion. An endoscopy done immediately revealed corrosive injuries to the food pipe, though fortunately, no perforation was detected.”
“The ventilator support was continued until the child’s breathing stabilised. The chemical burns on the chest and groin were managed with specialised dressings and medication to prevent infection and aid healing. Chemical and corrosive ingestion in toddlers is extremely dangerous because the damage begins instantly, can worsen rapidly and have lifelong consequences.
He added, “Storage of corrosive chemical substances like house cleansers and acids in drinking water or soft drink containers in the home is a risk factor for accidental corrosive ingestion in children, particularly those less than five years of age. In the child`s case, we were dealing with airway compromise, corrosive injury to the food pipe, and external burns all at the same time. Timely stabilisation, safe ventilated transport, and prompt endoscopic evaluation and evidence-based medical management helped us prevent life-threatening complications like – necrosis, perforation, disseminated intravascular coagulation, shock and sepsis. Our PICU team monitored his airway, nutrition, and wound healing round the clock and treated him with evidence-based latest medical care at every stage.”
The Pune-based doctor cautions, “This case reminds families to store household chemicals safely, beyond the reach and sight of children. The child was taken off ventilator cautiously. Feeding was cautiously restarted first through a tube to avoid further injury of food pipe, and later orally once his swallowing improved. Over the next few days, the toddler responded positively to treatment, he was off ventilator, the burns began healing, and his oral intake slowly recovered. One week later, he was discharged marking a remarkable turnaround in a case that could have ended very differently.”
Dr Jambagi urges all the parents to stay alert and keep all household chemicals, medicines, and sharp objects completely out of children’s reach, as accidents occur in children most of the time when the parents are around them but unattended. Curious toddlers explore everything around them, often without understanding danger. Simple precautions at home can prevent life-threatening emergencies like these.
He further added, “Every minute matters in accidents, poisoning and corrosive ingestion. When the child arrived, his airway was fragile, his mucosa was injured, and he was in significant pain. The child`s recovery is a powerful example of how coordinated, compassionate, and evidence-based pediatric multidisciplinary care can change outcomes. Every child deserves the chance to heal and thrive, and we are committed to providing that level of care every single day.”
“Seeing our little boy struggling to breathe and scream in pain is something no parent should ever witness. We had no idea how something so serious could happen so suddenly to our child. When the doctors told us his condition is critical after accidental ingestion of acid, our world collapsed. We feared losing him at any moment. But when the hospital`s specialised children’s retrieval team arrived, we felt hope for the first time. They treated him gently even while acting fast, and once we reached the hospital, every doctor and nurse cared for him like family round the clock. Watching him slowly open his eyes, breathe without support, and take his first sip of water again felt like witnessing a miracle. We will always be grateful to Dr Milind Jambagi’s team at the hospital for giving our child a second chance at life,” said the child`s mother.
