Doctors Were Shocked By What Looked Like A Tumor In Baby’s Mouth — But The Truth Was Totally Unexpected

Doctors were baffled by what they found in nine-month-old Max Steiner’s mouth before they finally figured it out

A mother noticed something odd inside her baby boy’s mouth and rushed him to the doctor, only to be told it could be a tumor. But what they found instead was something no one had expected.

Rowan Steiner, who lives in Utah, was in the middle of changing her nine-month-old son Max’s diaper when he began crying. That’s when she noticed a strange lump inside his mouth.

Concerned, she brought Max to the doctor right away. The 30-year-old mum said that even the medical team was puzzled by the mysterious lump. They told her they had ‘never seen anything like it’, which only added to her worry.

Little Max was then sent to see a dentist and a pediatric oral surgeon. But neither of them could confidently say what the bluish lump was. One possibility they considered was a vascular tumor, which only heightened the concern.

As they got ready to do a CT scan, another doctor stepped in and decided to take a closer look. He had a different idea – maybe it wasn’t a medical issue at all but something artificial, perhaps even something the baby had put in his mouth.

The doctor used a dental instrument to carefully check the edge of the lump, and that’s when it suddenly came off. It turned out that what they thought was a tumor was actually a piece of a fidget toy. Rowan had originally bought the toy for one of her other children, and somehow, part of it ended up stuck inside Max’s mouth.

Nine-month-old Max was taken to hospital and doctors suggested the strange object in his mouth might be a tumourKennedy News and Media

Rowan said: “The head of the department used a dental pick and pried off the edge and it popped off. It was super violent and there was blood underneath because it had sucked on to his gum so tightly.”

“Then there was swelling around the edges to the point where people couldn’t see the edges of the toy. It was suctioned so tightly that it just wasn’t moving when people were touching it and feeling it.”

“Throughout the day the doctors had mentioned it could be a toy. We were totally open to the idea because I have five children and a nine-month-old wants to put everything in their mouth at that stage.”

While some people had floated the idea that it might be a toy, Rowan said she never imagined it would be a piece from a fidget toy. Once the mystery was solved, she admitted it was the ‘best possible outcome’ given that they were seriously worried it could be a tumor.

She mentioned that several people including herself, Max’s dad, and multiple doctors had all felt the object in the baby’s mouth at some point. But no one realized what it was until the department head finally removed it and revealed the truth.

Looking back, Rowan felt extremely relieved. Not only was it not a tumor, but Max also hadn’t choked on the small toy part, which could have been just as dangerous.

The thing in the baby’s mouth had come from this toyKennedy News and Media

She said: “Ultimately just be really careful, especially with younger kids. I know the one that we bought was a cheaper brand from Amazon.”

“I know there are some thicker, higher quality brands but definitely keep an eye out, make sure that they’re in one piece when they’re playing with it.”