[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Seven-week-old Omri was brought into the emergency room of Mt. Scopus Hospital on Monday 7 Sivan from Pisgat Ze’ev. His parents realized he was crying in his crib during the night and found a centipede next to him. The parents acted quickly and got him to the hospital around midnight.

The mom, Stella, thought Omri was simply hungry as the room was not well lit, only receiving some light from the hallway. She didn’t see the centipede, which was learned to be poisonous.

She explains she then saw something moving near him when she picked her son up. She turned on the light and saw the poisonous centipede, black with yellow legs, about 5 centimeters in length (about 2 inches).

She called her husband, Noam, and they checked the baby and saw two bite marks, deciding to head directly to the emergency room.

They were met by Dr. Lia Kerem in the pediatric emergency room. Swelling was noticed at this time because the bites were near the infant’s neck. The doctors explain they are unaware of a precedent of a small infant being bitten by a poisonous centipede despite their wealth of experience, adding in an adult or large child they would not have been too concerned but a seven-week-old infant is a different story.

Dr. David Reichmann, head of pediatric emergency medicine admits such a case is not one that one forgets, concurring with his colleagues that this was a first.

The child began vomiting in the emergency room.

B”H the correct diagnosis was made and the infant treated and the situation stabilized as Dr. Kerem led the treatment along with his team. The child was kept for observation.

Photos:

The bite area

Dr. David Reichmann with Omer and his mom Stella

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photos: Hadassah Spokeswoman)