What happens if you swallow a small piece of plastic. The child swallowed a plastic part, what to do

I don't take my eyes off Alice. In fact, she doesn't take her eyes off me. You can’t move away from her, she immediately cries. So we live - either I'm with her, or she's with me. I'm very afraid that she will plop down from the sofa, lay a bunch of blankets on the floor for the last week, crawl, have fun. As soon as I get up from her - he immediately calls back. Either on my hands, or I sit nearby and hold that I didn’t hit my head. A couple of times she fell on her side and hit her head, not much. but it caused resentment. In general, we do not spill water. Even with dad in her arms, she immediately looks for me with her eyes, and if I smile, she herself has a great mood and a smile from ear to ear. Yesterday she put her in the crib and slipped her a toy - a rubber fish. You press - it beeps. Well, the whistle in it is an ordinary toy. She specifically took care of her, I washed the dishes (we have a partition between the kitchen and the hall half demolished, we are always in front of each other), I washed the dishes and heard how she squeaked this toy. She didn't poop yesterday (Alice can poop every other day, it doesn't bother me from birth). Moderately capricious ... What can I say, she is often unhappy. In general, today I take out a fish from the corner of the crib, it does not squeak - there is no whistle in it. Immediately under the bed - there is no one on the floor, Alice handed it to her husband, she herself dug through the entire bed, down to the plank, took everything out ... In the district, she crawled on her knees. I crumpled the toy several times - there is no whistle inside the toy! Husband - get ready, we'll do an ultrasound. In general, I was scared. Although Alice shows no visible signs of discomfort. Iuzh says - call the paid (IDK) - does it work. I called Kalinin. So and so, the fish was with a whistle, now there is no whistle, my daughter behaves normally. There, the doctor on duty says that the device is not working now, the ultrasound will not see anything. In such cases, an x-ray is taken, but it shows iron, it will not see plastic. In general, he says, a 6-month-old child is unlikely to be able to swallow something other than liquid. even if she swallowed, she either refused food or vomited. Well, we talked, she reassured me. Yes, some kind of calmed down there. I redid everything again. If she didn’t swallow it, then she must be somewhere, this fucking whistle! No. Alice poops, there is no whistle in the diaper. I climb into the Internet, I read on all sorts of forums. At 8 months, someone swallowed beans, barely came out naturally. Mostly after a year they swallow. Oh, that they just don’t swallow ... In short, it’s theoretically possible. I read articles - objects can hurt the esophagus severely. Wow, trees. I call all the same to the IDK - so and so ... They say, leave the number, they will call you back. I have been waiting for a call for 10 minutes, I feel Alisin's stomach ... I calm down, I read the baby Alice crawls with her husband ... There is no call, I climb again - what to do if the child swallowed ... Again I read horrors. I take another toy with a whistle, take it out - it's a centimeter long somewhere. It is necessary to check whether the whistle was the same in the fish. I grab a fish - inside something is shaking. shook it again - for sure! whistle in the fish. In general, soooo relieved, not to convey. All the whistles fucking pulled out. If a 6 month old baby managed to press a whistle. It means it can squeeze out, or maybe swallow it. Fuuuuuhhh, everything is so dangerous around ...

Gosha once swallowed teeth from a comb, plastic, 3 pieces, 2 - sharp, 1 - with a round. As a rule, these are details from children's toys, buttons. These items are less dangerous than magnets, batteries and glass.

What to do if a child swallows an object?

Yes, the part is plastic, it’s unlikely that they will see something, so I took on the responsibility myself to watch my son for a couple of days ... The opinion of the authors may not coincide with the point of view of the editors. The editors are not responsible for the content of advertisements and articles. At the moment, I give the baby light food, such as oatmeal. I don’t know what to do, the doctors say wait, but I’m going crazy. Support people, why one piece came out almost immediately, where is the rest, how long to wait, where to run.

In the evening, unable to stand it, they rushed to the x-ray, they said the plastic does not show the glass, but you can see if there is any kind of injury.

All mothers know that medicines should be kept out of the reach of children. But not everyone succeeds.

Tell me what to do, who faced this - the child swallowed a plastic round part! Not the fact that the child swallowed all the fragments. As I remember now, my mother dragged me to the doctors then: they blew my nose and did an X-ray. As a child, she played with bullets and stuck one up her nose. And she bang and failed inside. Author, pull yourself together. Everything will be fine. The child could not eat a bunch of fragments.

If the swallowed object is sharp, it is a magnet, a battery, or a large object, you need to urgently take the child to the hospital.

Toddlers like tablets and capsules, they think that this is a treat.

And although it was wooden and without protrusions, out of fright, I immediately called an ambulance, and we were taken to the trauma. If they are small .. they could get lost in the room. But no one saw how he ate them. I called an ambulance, they arrived, looked at the mouth, listened, they said wait at the exit or look for a better one, it might have rolled up.

Foreign body stuck in the esophagus

Do not give a laxative. If we assume that there are still pieces inside, then in order not to injure the intestines with plastic, the stool should not be liquid, and vice versa. But if he swallows a large lump, the same thing is possible as when swallowing a large amount of chewing gum: plasticine can get stuck in the esophagus or cause intestinal obstruction. The doctor can immediately prescribe an X-ray examination for the child, and if the object is in the stomach or duodenum, remove it by endoscopic method.

And with a long stay in one place, they can cause necrosis and perforation.

We have already described above what you must do in order to extract from respiratory tract dangerous item. All other actions: feeding, watering the child, giving him a laxative, is possible only after examining a doctor, with his permission. If any of these symptoms appear, the child may need urgent surgical treatment. But such objects, as a rule, are not sharp and heavy, and if their dimensions are not very large, they may well pass out with feces on their own.

Toddlers from 1 to 3 years old are especially restless and interested in everything that surrounds them. Sometimes this interest ends sadly: the child swallows a foreign body, which causes severe pain and can be life-threatening.

What to do if a child swallows a foreign object?

Signs of an object entering the esophagus

If a foreign object enters the baby's esophagus in front of parents or other adults, the situation is simplified. In this case, you can immediately assess the level of danger and take urgent measures (call an ambulance, try to induce vomiting so that the foreign body leaves the body).

It is much worse if the baby was alone with small parts of toys or sharp objects. In this case, the following symptoms can inform about what happened:

• nausea, vomiting
• whims, irritability;
• loss of consciousness;
• belching, salivation;
• loss of appetite;
• elevated temperature;
• feces with impurities of mucus or blood.

Of great importance is the shape and material from which the object is made.

Carry a danger to life can:

• mercury, if the baby broke the thermometer, and then swallowed balls of heavy metal;
• plasticine;
• magnets, batteries;
  glass and other small sharp objects.

If a child swallows a button or bead, do not panic. Round plastic or metal objects are not harmful and will soon leave the body along with the feces.

round objects

The situation when a child swallowed a plum stone or a button is not so tragic. A round object without sharp edges made of a safe material or of natural origin will pass through the esophagus into the stomach and intestines and will come out on its own with feces on the second or third day.

The same thing will happen with beads, dry peas, coins with a diameter of not more than 2 cm. In this case, you should carefully monitor the condition of the baby. If he is calm, does not experience pain or discomfort, you can safely wait until the foreign body leaves the body. It is worth going to the hospital if the child complains of pain, blood is present in the stool, or other alarming conditions are observed.

If your baby has swallowed a button or plastic part of a toy, try to make sure there are no nicks or sharp corners on it. Older children can be asked what they played the day before. As a rule, it is possible to find out what exactly the child ate.

If you suspect that the plastic part had notches or corners, you should immediately go to the hospital. When passing through the esophagus, an object can injure it and bring irreparable consequences.

Many mothers are frightened by the situation when the baby swallows his milk tooth. After all, it is also notched, which means it can cause bleeding. However, this logic has no basis. The tooth has a streamlined shape and smoothed edges. The small size that the tooth has allows it to easily pass through the esophagus without touching the walls.

If your little one has swallowed a tooth, don't despair and just wait until he comes out on his own. Some moms tend to think that a tooth can infect the digestive tract and cause inflammation. Such reasoning is without foundation. Even if the tooth had a carious cavity, the bacteria that are on it are already present in the microflora of the digestive tract.

Thus, the milk tooth does not pose a danger. If the child feels well, just wait until the tooth passes with the stool. A milk tooth is a natural foreign body that is not dangerous.

Batteries and magnets

If a child has swallowed a magnet or a battery, the alarm should be sounded. Many parents think that such a detail will not cause harm, and the situation is not dangerous. But it's not.

If a child swallows a battery, it begins to break down under the influence of gastric juice. An electrolyte reaction begins, which is life-threatening. In addition, the toxic substances contained in the battery can lead to poisoning.

If a child swallows a magnet, it may affect the fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. The situation worsens if there were 2 or more magnets. Today, manufacturers of children's toys produce magnetic alphabets with small letters, and curious children often put them in their mouths. Several magnets, being in the esophagus or stomach, can be attracted to each other and cause injury to internal organs.

If you suspect that the baby has eaten the magnets, go to the hospital immediately. There, doctors with the help of x-rays will determine their location and removed from the body.

sharp objects

A situation can be called catastrophic if a child swallows glass or other sharp parts. This applies to pins, needles, pointed small parts of toys.

In this case, do not hesitate and wait until they leave the body. Sharp edges damage the walls of internal organs and provoke bleeding. You should immediately go to the hospital, because the foreign body carries a real danger to life.

sticky items

It often happens that a child has swallowed chewing gum or plasticine. There is nothing wrong with this situation, and you should not panic in vain.

If the child swallowed the chewing gum, then it will soon dissolve under the influence of gastric juice, turn into a liquid mass and come out with feces. Most importantly, it does not contain toxic substances that can cause allergies or poisoning. Antihistamines or sorbents will help prevent the latter.

Plasticine scares many mothers. But you should not be afraid. Children's plasticine is non-toxic and is easily neutralized with a tool such as Espumizan or Enterosgel.

Today, many manufacturers produce plasticine for babies on a natural basis. If you observe that during home modeling lessons your child often pulls plasticine into his mouth, buy him a special dough for modeling or cook it yourself from water, salt and flour. Such "plasticine" will be completely safe, and you will not be afraid to leave the child alone with the material.

Mercury

If a child breaks a thermometer, the situation is dangerous not only for him, but for the whole family. Mercury can spread around the room, and it will be difficult to collect it. A broken thermometer must be immediately thrown away, and mercury must be collected with paper, a brush or a broom (you cannot pick up a broken thermometer and mercury) and eliminate it (pour it into a jar of water).

If a child breaks a thermometer, immediately pay attention to his condition. Mercury can cause severe poisoning, the symptoms of which will appear immediately:

• shortness of breath, difficulty breathing;
• vomiting, nausea;
• dizziness;
• stomach ache.

At the first sign of intoxication, take your child to the doctor or call an ambulance. While the doctors arrive, you can try to make the baby vomit. If the baby breaks the thermometer, open the windows and let in fresh air. It will eliminate harmful metal fumes.

If a child breaks a thermometer, mercury is not the only danger. The baby can swallow pieces of glass. In this case, the thermometer he broke poses another serious threat. Urgently call an ambulance, as poisoning can also join the damage to internal organs with a sharp object.

What awaits in the hospital?

If the baby swallowed a foreign body, and you took him to the hospital, rely on the professionalism of doctors. Be sure to tell the doctors if the child took the object in his mouth (if there is such information). If the baby broke the thermometer and possibly swallowed mercury or glass, doctors should be informed about this. Intoxication can be added to damage with a sharp object.

First, doctors will establish the place where the foreign body is located in the body, using an x-ray or ultrasound. Extraction surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia using a special loop. In severe cases, bleeding may require surgery.

Prevention

In order not to worry about your baby, it is better to prevent a dangerous situation than to prevent it later:

Do not leave your child alone with small and sharp objects.
Do not let the thermometer be picked up, even if you are treating, so that the child does not accidentally break it. Be aware that it contains life-threatening mercury.
Prepare a play space for your child so that it does not reach for foreign objects.
Buy plasticine based on natural materials or special modeling dough. Even if the baby eats a little, nothing bad will happen.
Constantly explain which items are edible and which are not.
A foreign body in the esophagus is a danger and harm to the child. Try your best to prevent it. If a foreign body has entered the esophagus, be sure to

consult your doctor. Thus, you eliminate the threat to the life of the baby.

A small child is such a restless creature that constantly requires the attention and vigilant control of mom, dad and grandmother. As soon as the baby has learned to crawl, and then walk, he begins to explore the world, various objects. And it's good if he just took a book, a spoon or any other object to play. But young children love to try different things. And sometimes a mother, not seeing how her miracle swallowed a battery or a designer part, cannot understand why he suddenly became ill, and where this terrible cough came from.

The desire of the baby to taste everything is nothing more than a natural reaction to the outside world, a craving to explore the surrounding things with the help of taste buds. But often, with one lick and an attempt to gnaw on the researched little thing, the matter does not end there. As a rule, the last stage of acquaintance with the object is its swallowing. How to be in such a situation, what to do in the first place, and what absolutely cannot be done? All this in our today's article.

The eaten little thing can leave the body itself. But since this is rare, you should not sit over the child and wait for this moment. You need to immediately provide first aid to prevent dangerous consequences.

Each swallowed object can behave differently in the body. In addition, the algorithm of actions is also different. For example, if a baby swallows a button (a streamlined, smooth object), it can come out on its own. Larger and more dangerous (needle, magnet, battery) objects can linger in the digestive tract and cause trouble. In this case, you need to call a doctor or take the baby to a medical facility.

And since swallowed products behave differently in the child's body and their traumatic effect is also different, the first aid algorithm will also be different. More details about first aid in the table.

Item	signs	What to do
Magnet magnetic ball	If the baby swallowed the part, but you did not see it, you can suspect something was wrong by the appearance of a runny nose, cough, and pain in the abdomen.	You can not induce vomiting on your own, give food. The first thing to do is call a doctor. Untimely access to a doctor is fraught with disastrous consequences. A magnet with sharp edges can injure the gastrointestinal mucosa. If there are several magnets swallowed, they can be attracted to each other, seriously injuring the intestines.
Mounting foam	There may be pain in the abdomen.	Foam can solidify in the intestines and create an insurmountable barrier to the movement of feces. In this case, you need to show the baby to the doctor. The sooner the object is removed, the sooner the baby's condition returns to normal.
Battery	The object may get stuck in the throat. In this case, coughing, suffocation may occur. In addition, it is possible to change the chair. The stool will turn greenish or black. Often there is an increase in body temperature, vomiting and loss of consciousness.	If the baby begins to choke, it is necessary to induce vomiting. Next, you need to call an ambulance or take the child to the hospital.
Drawing pin A piece of glass Metal products with uneven edges	Accompanied by active salivation, coughing, suffocation, reddening of the face, hiccups, vomiting, blood in the stool.	You need to call a doctor immediately. It is equally important to examine the baby's mouth for splinters. It is impossible to extract fragments that are localized in the region of the palatoglossal arch.
Gum	One swallowed chewing gum is usually not accompanied by symptoms. If a child has swallowed several chewing gums, abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhea may occur.	One swallowed chewing gum is not dangerous for the baby. If he "ate" a lot of chewing gum, you need to watch for a while. If there are deviations, you must make an appointment with a doctor
Coin	The appearance of anxiety, irritability, tearfulness is noted. In addition, regurgitation, shortness of breath, coughing, increased salivation may occur.	If the baby's condition worsens significantly due to a swallowed coin, consult a doctor immediately.
Button	Symptoms are often absent.	No need to stuff the baby with laxatives or induce vomiting. If the baby's condition is normal, wait, the button will come out with the feces. If your child's behavior changes, see your doctor.
Boltik metal ball	Accompanied by hiccups, salivation, irritability, pain in the abdomen.	The baby needs to be taken to the hospital. There it should be until the foreign object comes out with feces.
Needle	When such objects enter the digestive system, the appearance of profuse salivation, coughing, anxiety, sweating, and fever are noted.	Immediately call a doctor or take a small patient to the hospital. Do not allow the child to move a lot (this is fraught with moving a sharp object into soft tissues). It is contraindicated to give laxatives, induce vomiting or shake the baby.
Mercury	Feeling unwell, high temperature, headache, increased salivation, pain in the abdomen, diarrhea.	In this case, the threat is not the balls of mercury themselves, but its evaporation. Inhalation of vapors of the substance is fraught with damage to the central nervous system, kidneys and lungs. In such a situation, it is contraindicated to delay. You need to quickly call an ambulance. Parents, while the ambulance is on the way, need to cause the baby to vomit.
Medications (tablet, capsule)	The first manifestations will appear after the substances begin to be absorbed into the blood. Symptoms will depend on which drug was swallowed. Perhaps the appearance of irritability, convulsions, fainting, nausea and vomiting, fever.	The first thing to do is call an ambulance. Before her arrival, it is necessary to wash the stomach, induce vomiting, and then give several tablets of an activated or other sorbent
Hydrogel silica gel	Ingestion of such chemicals into the stomach is fraught with severe intoxication.	It is necessary to call a doctor, wash the stomach and give an absorbent to drink.
Foil	The appearance of lethargy, irritability, malaise is noted	You need to call a doctor. Before the arrival of the doctor, it is forbidden to induce vomiting, feed or drink, give laxatives.
Plasticine	There is the appearance of lethargy, capriciousness. Perhaps the appearance of allergic manifestations (rashes).	A small piece of plasticine is harmless. If a large piece enters the gastrointestinal tract, it is fraught with intestinal obstruction. You need to take the child to the doctor.
cotton wool	As a rule, it is not accompanied by any symptoms.	Observe the child's behavior and condition. Call a doctor if necessary.
Plastic products	If the swallowed object is small and without sharp edges, symptoms may not appear. If a piece of plastic is swallowed, malaise, abdominal pain, tearfulness, and blood in the stool may occur.	Observe the stool of a small patient. If there are any suspicious signs, take him to the hospital.
Tooth	There are no symptoms.	Often, a tooth, once in the digestive tract, leaves the body naturally. You can't induce vomiting. If the child's behavior changes, or if the condition worsens, contact the hospital.
fruit stone	There may be pain in the epigastrium, blood in the feces.	As a rule, the bones from fruits come out with feces. If this does not happen, see a doctor.
fish bone	Appearance of cough, suffocation, salivation is noted.	The child needs to be taken to the hospital.

The following items are the most dangerous if swallowed:

1. Having large sizes. This is fraught with intestinal obstruction due to blockage by a foreign body.
2. Having sharp and piercing edges. If such objects enter the gastrointestinal tract, it is fraught with a puncture of the walls of the stomach or intestines, which will necessitate an operation.
3. Small batteries in the form of tablets. Inside such products there is an electrode, which in the esophagus or stomach can give a discharge and injure organs.

Reasons for swallowing various objects by children

Foreign bodies in children's bellies are more likely than in adults to operate on appendicitis or diagnose pathologies of the cardiovascular system, in particular heart attack. According to statistics, every fifth child in the world swallows something that is clearly unfit for food. Each parent needs to be as vigilant as possible so that a small alien little thing does not do big trouble.

So why does the baby constantly pull everything he sees into his mouth? The main thing is to understand a simple truth, the child is not to blame for accidentally swallowing a ring or a button. In childhood, there are several objective physiological reasons why children swallow all sorts of uselessness. The main thing is not to blame him and in no case scold him. All you need to do if you see that your child “had breakfast” with a pen cap is to help him and call a doctor.

The main reasons for the knowledge of everything around through swallowing include:

• lack of an adequate assessment of the physical parameters of objects. The child does not understand that the thing is sharp, hot, hard, or at least inedible;
• lack of self-preservation instinct. It costs nothing for a kid to pull an object into his mouth that repels an adult by its very appearance;
• no negative experience. The program “do not put kaku in your mouth” is not laid down at the genetic level. The kid needs to feel the problem in practice. Only in this way will he be able to understand that this cannot be done, otherwise his stomach will ache and an unfamiliar uncle in a white coat will come.

Even if there was already a sad experience, the baby could simply not learn it. In other words, several similar situations are needed in order to develop the reflex “you can’t take it in your mouth, gnaw, lick it”

• Lack of proper communication. Young children are not yet able to share negative experiences, they are not able to discuss different situations, in particular those that happened to them. In other words, the child cannot tell that he swallowed the detail of the designer, the mother panicked and called the doctors, who came and began to scold.

In general, children do not yet realize the gravity of the situation, they do not know what it is fraught with. You, in a similar situation, it remains to provide first aid and consult a doctor so that nothing bad happens to your baby.

What age children are more likely to experience the problem?

Toddlers may pull an object into their mouth as soon as they can reach it. And this means that the "starting point" when mom and dad need to be especially vigilant is the seventh or eighth month of life. That is, when a child begins to crawl and in every possible way tries to reach out to the unknown.

At this time, small things seem to be created so that parents are constantly in suspense. Since the baby's vision in the first year of life is imperfect, and he is only learning to focus it, he will first of all fix his eyes on something bright and small that will be in his way.

Sometimes new mothers are saved by the fact that, due to incomplete vision, the child may simply not see a dangerous object nearby, even if it is very close. But in no case should you hope that the child will not notice the dangerous little thing.

According to statistics, most often children swallow foreign parts between the ages of one and three. During this period, they become more nimble, many are already taking their first steps, which means that the reach zone of the “toy”, which must be tried without fail, is increasing.

Parents should always be on the lookout. It should be understood that the age of little “swallowers” ​​is not limited to either three or six years. Then the age of various experiments will begin, when children on purpose or consciously can try an inedible thing. This is especially true for those who go to kindergarten or have many friends, and subconsciously try to brag to the rest of their achievements.

A child of school age, even while at home, teaching lessons, may accidentally swallow an object that had previously simply been procrastinating in his mouth. And there are many such examples. Therefore, parents should always be on their guard, even if the child is already 7 years old.

How to understand that the child ate inedible

The fact that a baby has swallowed a small item, be it a bead, a coin or a nut, often goes unnoticed. Mom can find out about this by chance when the eaten item comes out with feces. And it's good if it ends like this. But in fact, more often than not, things happen a little differently.

And only an attentive parent can suspect something was wrong. It should be alarming that the child suddenly became whiny, his behavior changed dramatically. In this case, the baby may feel guilty, which is why he stops behaving as he usually does.

In this case, you need to try to talk to him and try to find out if he accidentally swallowed the “colored candy”. Moreover, the conversation should be calm, the tone should be affectionate. Believe me, you will not achieve anything by shouting, the child will close in on himself, and in every possible way will refuse to make contact. Even if he becomes ill, he will tolerate it, but will not tell you anything.

If the child is still very young and unable to tell you what happened, you can understand what happened to him by the following signs. Often, the entry of a foreign body into the child's gastrointestinal tract (especially if it is more than 1 cm) manifests itself immediately and is usually accompanied by the following symptoms:

• sharp sudden choking;
• crying;
• increased salivation;
• belching;
• nausea and vomiting;
• a change in the characteristics of feces, for example, the appearance of mucus in them;
• behavior disorder;
• loss of consciousness (in rare cases);
• blanching;
• loss of appetite;
• an increase in temperature.

Most often, children swallow foreign objects that do not exceed the diameter of the esophagus, and hence the entire gastrointestinal tract, and this, in turn, means that the part can come out naturally. Sometimes, due to a delay in the folds of the gastrointestinal tract, the object does not come out with the feces.

In this case, you need to take the child to the hospital. Do not hesitate to visit a specialist, this is fraught with disastrous consequences.

What actions are contraindicated

In a panic, we can, albeit unconsciously, but exacerbate the situation. In order not to harm the baby even more, every parent should know what absolutely cannot be done if the child has swallowed something inedible.

1. In no case do not shake the baby, do not beat him on the back, do not turn him upside down (in the hope that the object will fall out). Such actions are fraught with the unfolding of the object in a narrow place, displacement into the respiratory tract, injury to the gastrointestinal mucosa.

2. Don't force your baby to eat a crust of bread if he chokes on a fish bone. This is fraught with injury to the esophageal mucosa.

Do not take out the swallowed product yourself, either with your fingers or with tweezers. This should be done by a doctor, and using sterile instruments.

3. If the baby has a cough or he began to choke, and the ambulance has not yet arrived, place him on your knee face down. In this case, the upper half of the body should be lowered. Tap lightly between your shoulder blades with your fingers.

Can the problem be prevented?

Unfortunately, parents do not have 100 eyes and they cannot follow every step and action of the child. Some children's affairs are left without parental attention. And it's good if everything ends well, and not hospitalization. To minimize the risk of foreign bodies entering the child's body, experts advise:

• remove small parts from the floor;
• buy toys by age;
• do not allow the baby to play with pins, needles, glass;
• if a child plays with beads, toys with a magnet must be with him all this time;
• exclude thermometers, building materials, nails from falling into the hands of a child.

Little researchers do not sit still for a minute and try to study the world around them using all the senses. Often, foreign bodies such as coins, batteries, glass, chewing gum, magnets, pits from plums or cherries, plastic parts and other small objects are found in their mouths. In such a situation, it is extremely important for an adult not to get confused, to sensibly assess the situation and provide first aid to the child. In some cases, you can not do without surgical intervention.

Why do babies swallow foreign objects

According to statistics, every year millions of foreign objects enter the digestive tract of children. And this happens mainly as a result of the desire of young travelers to explore the world around them. Kids are very inquisitive and strive to taste everything that falls into their hands. Sometimes children may swallow a foreign object while eating or playing.

Often, kids swallow their "finds" out of curiosity.

Therefore, it is extremely important for adults to remove medicines, needles, scissors and other sharp products from inaccessible places, seal the grooves into which batteries or magnets are inserted with adhesive tape, etc. If the situation could not be prevented, parents need to know the list of actions that should be taken immediately.

What can a child swallow

Items that can inadvertently enter the baby's gastrointestinal tract can be divided into two large groups: dangerous and not posing a threat to health.

Dangerous foreign bodies: battery, magnet, coin, pin, glass, nail and others

Dangerous foreign bodies include:

• metal products (magnet, battery, coin, foil, iron balls, screws, carnations, etc.);
• sharp or long objects (glass, nail, toothpick, paper clip, pin, fish bone, wooden stick);
• substances with poisonous and toxic properties.

Coins, batteries, paper clips that are in the digestive tract of a child pose a direct threat to his health

Foreign bodies that do not pose a danger: a stone from a plum, cherry, peach, chewing gum, rubber and plastic objects, a fallen tooth

Non-hazardous foreign bodies include:

• substances associated with food (pits from cherries, cherries, plums or peaches, chewing gum, egg shells);
• plastic and rubber items (plastic buttons, beads, Lego, vacuum rubber bands from headphones, cellophane);
• building materials (mounting foam, silica gel);
• parts of the body (lost milk tooth, hair);
• other products (stone, plasticine, hair band, thread, cotton wool, etc.).

Cherry stone will pass through the baby's gastrointestinal tract without any problems, without causing him harm and discomfort.

Signs and symptoms that indicate a child has swallowed a small object

The situation when a foreign object got into the baby's gastrointestinal tract can occur both in the absence and in the presence of an adult.

If you did not see that the child swallowed a foreign body and did not take any action, over time he may develop the following symptoms:

• profuse salivation;
• bouts of severe coughing, difficulty breathing;
• a sharp jump in temperature;
• bloating, sharp and severe pain;
• the presence of blood in the stool;
• chest pain;
• nausea and vomiting.

If you see that the child suddenly began to cough, choke, turn pale, you should immediately take him to the hospital. Most likely, the cause of the disease is the ingress of a small foreign body into the respiratory tract.

Difficulty breathing is one of the main symptoms when swallowing a foreign object.

What to do first if a child swallows a sharp or dangerous object

The greatest danger is represented by foreign objects that enter the child's respiratory tract or trachea. In this case, access to oxygen is blocked, and the baby begins to suffocate. The main thing for parents in this situation is not to panic.

The list of actions to be taken if a foreign body is stuck "on the way" to the stomach:

1. Throw the child over the left knee. The baby's head should be down.
2. Pat him with an open palm on the back, between the shoulder blades.
3. Press on the root of the tongue, causing a gag reflex.

Every parent should be fully aware that the life of the child depends entirely on his actions.

If you witness your child swallow a sharp object, a battery or a magnet, you should immediately go to the hospital. Waiting for the moment when a dangerous foreign body leaves the body on its own can cost the life of a child.

So, the battery, getting into the gastric juice, begins to oxidize and release toxic substances that are harmful to health. If you do not consult a doctor in time, the sad consequences are inevitable. Chemical burns of internal organs, stomach ulcers, bleeding, rupture of the walls of the esophagus, death - this is what swallowing a small battery can lead to.

The battery is an object that poses a particular danger if it enters the gastrointestinal tract

Sharp objects (needles, paper clips, etc.), passing through the gastrointestinal tract, injure internal organs, cause inflammation, and provoke bleeding. Don't hesitate, see a doctor!

How not to harm

If you see that your baby has swallowed a foreign body, you should clearly know the order of primary actions. Try not to panic, keep calm, because excitement and fear are transmitted to the child.

In no case should you:

• put enemas or give laxatives to the young researcher. Artificial acceleration of the digestive system can lead to a number of undesirable consequences. A foreign object can injure the walls of internal organs with the edges, get stuck in the intestine, thereby provoking its obstruction;
• force the baby to eat a piece of solid food, for example, a crust of stale bread;
• try to get a foreign body with tweezers, a magnet.

If the diameter of the object swallowed by the child is not more than 1 cm, and it has a rounded shape, then the probability that the foreign body will pass through the gastrointestinal tract on its own and exit with a stool is quite high. Be patient and check your stool regularly.

What to expect in the hospital

If your baby has swallowed a foreign body that is dangerous for him (magnets, a battery, a fish bone, a needle, etc.), you must take him to a medical facility. In a hospital setting, using an x-ray or ultrasound, the doctor will determine the place where the foreign object is stuck. If he got into the stomach, then he will be released through the FGS. The situation with the bronchi is much more complicated - the manipulations will be carried out under anesthesia. After removing the foreign body, the child is monitored. If necessary, antibiotics may be prescribed to prevent infection of the lungs and bronchi.

Possible consequences

If you do not see a doctor in time, a dangerous foreign body in a child's body can cause a number of undesirable consequences: from intestinal obstruction to stomach ulcers, internal bleeding, and even death. Be carefull!

If a child swallowed something: health school - video

For the most part, foreign bodies that a child can swallow do not pose a threat to his health. But foreign objects such as batteries, needles, toothpicks, glass fragments carry an increased danger and can lead to irreversible consequences. A timely visit to the doctor is the only right decision.