EXCLUSIVE Doctors thought a lump in my son's mouth was a tumor... the truth was even more shocking
The mother-of-five from Utah had 'never seen anything like it', and neither had her pediatrician — who sent the family straight to a dentist and pediatric oral surgeon.
They too were stumped by the 0.4-inch 'mass' on nine-month-old Max's gums, and told he to go to the hospital, where a specialist said he needed an 'urgent CT scan'.
It was only when the head doctor walked in, an ear, nose and throat specialist, that the true identity of the 'tumor' was revealed.
It was a piece of plastic from a fidget toy that had become suctioned and embedded in the infant's mouth.
Instead of ordering a CT scan, the doctor used a dental tool to detach the edge of the 'mass', which quickly popped off, resulting in minor bleeding from the gums.
Steiner, speaking after the 12-hour ordeal that took place in 2022 but was only revealed online late last month, said: 'We were terrified, and then when we found out it was a fidget toy, we were relieved.
'That was probably the best case scenario after thinking that it was going to be a tumor, or he could have swallowed it or choked on it.'
She added: 'I, his dad, and all of the doctors physically touched it... every single person did, it was just suctioned so tightly that it wasn't moving at all.'
The mother, 31, had noticed the plastic on her son Max's gums while he was crying during a diaper change, prompting the rushed hospital visit.
Over the course of 12 hours, the little boy was seen by five doctors in their local area of Salt Lake City, including two at the hospital, before the plastic was confirmed.
A fidget toy is a small object, often rainbow colored, that someone can hold in their hands and play with to improve focus, relax or relieve stress.
In Steiner's case, her son had likely been chewing on a pop-it fidget toy, a piece of plastic with bubble-like silicon buttons on it that people press in and out, before at least one of the buttons popped off and became lodged in his gums.
Doctors in Australia and the UK have previously warned that these devices should only be used by older children, saying that parts of them can pop off and pose a choking hazard.
Social media is full of similar cautionary tales of parents warning others to be aware of small pieces of plastic that can pop off toys, including fidget toys.
Steiner added: '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.
'We thought something was lodged but there was no place for it to lodge.
'There was nothing inside his gum and we were just skeptical because we were like how would this make sense. A fidget toy was not what we were thinking of at all.'
She said her son suffered from bleeding after the plastic was removed and then swelling around the edges of his gums.
After revealing the complication on TikTok, users were quick to respond to say they would throw out their fidget toys.
One user commented: 'Going to throw ours away right now. I have a ton for our two-year-old grandson. I actually have one that looks almost identical to that one, color and all.
'I thought those were pretty safe since they're silicone and I thought they were all one molded piece. Thank you for sharing your story!'
Another wrote: 'It totally makes sense that no one's instinct is that it's a toy or something.
'But it's also a little scary that so many doctors' physical exams completely missed the possibility. I'm glad your baby girl is okay!'
A third wrote: 'Girl. How did you not put your hand in there and feel.'
Steiner said the toy had been purchased from Amazon, which was approached for comment.
Fidget toys are generally not recommended for younger children, but advertisements online for the devices, priced as low as $5, list them as 'for kids' and a 'sensory tool for classrooms'.
Australian pediatric nurse Sarah Hunstead raised concerns over the toys in 2023 after hearing about at least two infants that had choked on pieces from the devices.
Pop-it fidget toys were all the rage at the height of the Covid pandemic, with parents believing they were giving children a useful non-digital device to keep them entertained during shutdowns.
Once seen as elementary school novelties, the devices have also started to pop up in some classrooms with teachers claiming they can help alleviate stress.
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