• Andrew R Bamber, Jeremy Pryce, Michael Ashworth, and Neil J Sebire.
• Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Histopathology, London, United Kingdom.
• Fetal Pediatr Pathol. 2014 Feb 1;33(1):42-8.

PurposeTo investigate the frequency, circumstances, demographics and autopsy findings of infants and children dying as a result of foreign body aspiration.MethodsRetrospective review of autopsy cases in children aged between seven days and 18 years, at one specialist centre over a 16-year period, in which death was the result of aspiration of a foreign body.ResultsTen cases were identified out of a total autopsy population of 2165. Only one individual had an underlying diagnosis potentially contributing to aspiration. All but one case involved aspiration of food, with grapes being a feature of four cases. In cases with a prolonged survival interval, autopsy demonstrated bronchopneumonia and hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy. In the remaining cases autopsy findings were non-specific.ConclusionsFatal aspiration of a foreign body is rare in this population. The cases involve normal children who aspirate food, particularly grapes. There are typically minimal, non-specific findings at autopsy.

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