
China doctors remove 2kg hairball from girl's stomach – condition caused by six-year habit
In July, the 15-year-old, nicknamed Nini, from Henan province in central China, went to Wuhan Children's Hospital in the neighbouring province of Hubei with her mother.
The girl was extremely thin, standing at 1.6m but weighing only 35kg. Also, she had not menstruated for six months, the Hubei Daily reported.
Surgeons removed many clumps of hair mixed with food residue from the teenager's stomach. Photo: Douyin
Her mother took Nini for treatment for a fierce stomach ache that prevented her from eating and almost made her collapse.
Nini was also diagnosed with serious anaemia, the report said.
The girl's mother told doctors that the girl had been eating her own hair for six years.
Doctors discovered a 'hairball' composed of hair and food residue occupying almost her whole stomach.
They concluded it was the cause of the girl's series of illnesses.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
China vows stronger biotech support as deals with global pharmaceutical giants surge
Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called for stronger policy support for the biotech industry, as part of efforts to bolster innovation in a sector that has witnessed a boom in recent years. 'The biopharmaceutical industry is both a strategic emerging sector and vital to public health,' he said during an inspection in Beijing on Wednesday, as reported by the state-run Xinhua News Agency. 'Efforts should be made to strengthen original innovation, address core technological challenges and mobilise resources from the government and market to achieve breakthroughs quickly.' Li also urged research institutes to focus on global frontiers and critical areas, while training top talent to establish a solid foundation for the sector's development. His remarks came as Chinese biotech developers continue to sign increasing numbers of out-licensing agreements with multinational pharmaceutical companies. Out-licensing involves biotech firms selling drug candidates, which have often completed Phase I and II trials in China, to global partners. Chinese drug developers have widely adopted the model to ease financial pressures in an industry where embracing new therapeutic approaches has proven cash-intensive and carries a high risk of failure. With China's healthcare system largely government-funded, steep price cuts under its national insurance scheme also limit domestic profitability.


South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
Knee surgery patients with ‘penicillin allergy' face higher infection risk: study
Patients labelled as allergic to penicillin – usually incorrectly – are three times more likely to develop a serious joint infection after knee surgery as they receive weaker antibiotics, a Hong Kong study has found, with researchers urging them to seek an evaluation especially before their operation. A team from the University of Hong Kong, which released the findings of the study on Wednesday, said that about 90 per cent of patients recorded as being allergic to the commonly used antibiotic were wrongly labelled. 'We found that if patients are wrongly labelled as allergic to penicillin, there can be a very serious consequence, which is infection,' said study co-leader Dr Steve Cheung Man-hong, an honorary clinical assistant professor in the department of orthopaedics and traumatology at HKU. 'There should be appropriate and timely evaluation on allergy labels.' The study analysed 4,730 patients who had undergone knee replacement surgery at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam between 1993 and 2001. Among them, 165 were labelled allergic to penicillin, the most common and first-line antibiotic used by doctors before joint surgery to prevent infections.


South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
Could Hong Kong scientists fight age-related muscle loss with help of HIV drug?
Hong Kong scientists have identified an HIV drug that could be used to treat a common condition behind age-related muscle loss, with researchers hoping to start clinical trials next year. Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) said on Wednesday that they had tested the HIV drug, known as Maraviroc, on 18-month-old mice suffering from sarcopenia, a progressive age-related condition that causes loss of muscle mass and strength. The study found that mice saw significant improvements in their muscle mass, grip strength and running endurance after receiving high doses of the drug for three months. Dr Michael Ong Tim-yun, a clinical assistant professor at CUHK's orthopaedics and traumatology department, said one in seven people aged 65 and above in Hong Kong suffered from sarcopenia, with the amount rising to 50 per cent of residents over the age of 80. 'This figure might be an underestimation as many patients who actually have symptoms of sarcopenia are not aware of it,' Ong said. Ong, who is part of the research team, explained that sarcopenia could be diagnosed by measuring a person's muscle mass, handgrip strength and walking speed. The only treatments currently available are exercise and protein supplementation, with no drugs used to treat the condition at this point.