Abstract:
Foreign body aspiration is a leading cause of accidental morbidity and mortality in children under 3 years of
age. Organic foreign bodies such as peanuts pose a particularly high risk due to their hygroscopic nature and
tendency to cause airway inflammation. We report a fatal case of delayed airway obstruction in an 18-month-old
female child following peanut aspiration, initially presenting with transient choking that appeared to resolve. The
child subsequently developed acute respiratory distress several hours later and died despite hospital admission.
Autopsy revealed a peanut lodged in the right main bronchus with hyperinflation of the right lung. This case
highlights the deceptive clinical course of foreign body aspiration, the dangers of delayed presentation and the
need for heightened clinical suspicion even when initial symptoms subside.
