Hard act to swallow

Doctors in Montréal successfully retrieved a 15cm ballpoint pen from inside the two-year-old girl who swallowed it. The x-ray showed the pen sitting party in her oesophagus and partly in her stomach. The case study was published in the Ear. Nose and throat journal. US regulations governing the size of objects meant for children under three permit articles longer than 5.7cm- barely a third of the length of the pen. The articles authors suggest changes are needed to current manufacturing regulations.