MUMBAI, Nov. 24 -- When a 26-day-old baby was admitted to the hospital with escalating respiratory diseases, doctors were puzzled. X-rays and echo-chardiograms showed no abnormalities, and it was only four days later that a bronchoscopy finally revealed that the infant had inhaled a natal tooth. The 1.95 kg infant then underwent a lifesaving procedure at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Navi Mumbai and was saved from the rare and potentially fatal incident that sometimes affects newborn babies. "We were stunned to find a natal tooth inside the bronchus," said Dr Shilpa Aroskar, head of paediatrics and neonatology. She explained that some babies are born with natal teeth, and when these teeth are embedded under their gums, they can be missed during routine check-ups. In this particular case, the parents told the doctors that two of the infant's natal teeth were removed on the first day after birth, but an additional hidden tooth near the tonsils had gone unnoticed. "Repeated sucking movements probably dislodged this mucosal tooth," Dr Aroskar explained. Scans later showed three to four more embedded mucosal teeth in the baby's mouth. Removing the tooth from the infant's lungs presented an unprecedented challenge for the doctors. No existing bronchoscope was small enough for a 1.95 kg infant-much smaller than the smallest previously reported case of 4.2 kg infant. "The infant could be the youngest and smallest baby globally known to undergo a bronchoscopy," said Dr Kaustub Mohite, consultant paediatric pulmonologist. When their standard tools failed, the team had to improvise. "We used a urethral stone basket, normally used in urology, to grab and remove the tooth," Dr Mohite said. The high-risk procedure took 14 hours of nonstop teamwork. "The stakes were enormous," Dr Aroskar noted, adding, "A wrong move, and the infant's airway could have collapsed." After the tooth was safely removed, the baby recovered quickly. He was breathing on his own within 48 hours, resumed feeding, and was discharged in good health on October 28. "This case is a milestone for neonatal airway management," said Dr Shashikant Pawar, chief operating officer (COO) of the hospital. "It showcases the combination of innovation, advanced technology and super-specialty expertise that helped save the baby without invasive surgery."...