When Dr. Andy Tagg was a toddler, he had an enterprising idea that backfired in the most literal way: swallowing two Lego pieces side-by-side. Despite all his best efforts to separate them between his teeth, they went down and he now fondly recalls this misadventure as “an experience [he] won’t forget.”
Facing an influx of anxious parents from Melbourne and beyond, Western Health emergency physician Andy sought to find a solution for children swallowing undesirable objects. His innovative answer was simple: the majority of kids can pass such items naturally within 24 hours - no surgery necessary!
But Andy and a group of 6 pediatricians determined to find the answer sought a novel approach - they turned to science. Could it provide an avenue for spreading awareness about infant nutrition and postpartum care? Here's what they found.
In a groundbreaking experiment, the brave doctors tested the boundaries of science by ingesting Lego heads and documenting their results. The study was penned up in detail for 'The Defector' by Sabrina Imbler, who recently sat down with Short Wave Scientist Regina G. Barber to discuss findings from this daring exploration into our digestive system's capabilities. After excluding those with a history of gastrointestinal surgery, the inability to ingest foreign objects, and an "aversion to searching through fecal matter," researchers measured how long it took for said Lego pieces to be found - which was given a Found & Retrieved Time (FART) score! While some could consider it an act of scientific curiosity or even madness, these medical professionals took one - tiny - step forward on behalf of us all; charting unimaginable journeys through uncharted territories... of their own bodies!
