What to do if a child swallows an object? Methods for removing a foreign body. Objects that are dangerous or harmless to health

Loving parents try to provide the safest possible environment for their child, but when a baby reaches the age of one and learns to walk, he has a great opportunity to explore the environment. Parents are often horrified to discover that their child has swallowed a coin. The entry of a foreign body into the body is a dangerous situation for the baby’s health. What should his parents do to get it out of his body as quickly as possible?

How to identify?

It only takes a second to swallow a penny. Adults often lose sight of this point. Every parent should know the signs of coin swallowing. Awareness and attentiveness of adults will help protect the baby in his first year of life from many health risks.

The most successful solution to the problem is the release of a foreign object from the child’s body along with feces. But often the coin gets stuck in the baby's airway or esophagus, which is a dangerous situation. If a child swallows a coin, what should you do first? Adults must act confidently and quickly.

If foreign body got into the respiratory system, parents will immediately suspect something is wrong. The baby will begin to wheeze, and after a few minutes the skin of his face will turn blue. This situation is the most dangerous, as it threatens the baby with asphyxia, moreover younger child, the less time it takes to find a way out of the situation.

When a coin gets into the gastrointestinal tract, the baby’s well-being and mood sharply worsen. A baby under one year old cannot speak, so parents must figure out what happened themselves.

Among the signs are:

nausea;
refusal to eat;
chest pain;
blood in stool;
profuse salivation.

The esophagus is a sensitive organ. It consists of muscles that immediately respond to irritation with a spasm. In addition, an iron object can cut the esophagus, which will lead to internal bleeding, which is life-threatening for a child under one year old.

Prohibited tricks

Many parents do not know what to do if their child accidentally swallows a coin. But there are techniques that are forbidden to resort to, so as not to complicate an already extreme situation. No adult can guess the position of a coin swallowed by a child.

If a child swallows a coin, under no circumstances should you give him a laxative or give him an enema. After stimulating intestinal motility, an object can injure the organ or make it obstructed. The baby does not need to be force-fed in order to promote the advancement of a foreign object, because this can only make things worse. She does not recommend shaking the child - it will not bring anything other than fright.

At pain You cannot give your child painkillers, as this will interfere with determining the location of the coin.

Parents' reaction

If a child swallows a coin and it gets stuck in his respiratory tract, resuscitation should be called immediately. Before the medical team arrives, you need to place the child on the adult’s forearm so that the baby’s face is down. After this, you need to apply five strong claps in the middle of the back. This technique will protect the child from suffocation.

You can calmly explain to a child who is already three years old why the doctors came and calm him down. If the child is very small, adults should make every effort to distract the baby from unpleasant sensations.

In a hospital setting, the child undergoes an endoscopy or x-ray of the gastrointestinal tract. This study will help you find out exactly where the swallowed object is located. After this, the doctor decides on the further course of action. Often in this case, surgical intervention is required. Until the item is removed, the child’s health condition is constantly monitored in a hospital setting.

Children can swallow not only coins, but also any small objects, including construction parts

What else could be dangerous?

To preserve the health and life of a child, especially a small one, parents must show maximum attention. When a baby spends time in a stroller up to a year old, there is little threat to his safety. But as soon as the baby learns to crawl, he should be provided with safe conditions for movement. The floor where the baby crawls must be perfectly clean. When a child has learned to stand and walk, he can easily explore the surface of furniture on which various objects, including small ones, lie. The street is also full of potentially dangerous objects that can enter a child’s body.

Small sharp objects are considered the most dangerous to health:

needles;
nails;
pebbles;
fragments.

If a child swallows a coin or other metal object, ambulance call immediately, because at any moment a metal rib can injure internal organs and cause bleeding.

No less dangerous for children are the batteries that many types are equipped with. interactive toys. They consist of an electrolyte, which when ingested into the body leads to destructive consequences. If a child swallows a battery, you should immediately call an ambulance and do not wait for the object to come out with feces. Timely assistance in this case will minimize the negative health consequences.

Metal objects entering the gastrointestinal tract can cause acute allergic reaction. If the object comes out during a bowel movement, the baby’s parents can calm down. But when after three days the foreign body has not come out, you need to show the baby to the doctor.

Magnets are also unsafe for children's health. This is what children's magnetic construction sets are equipped with. If the baby swallows at least two small parts, this provokes a dangerous situation. Inside the stomach or intestines, objects can become attracted to each other, causing internal bleeding.

Every small item in the house should have its own place, inaccessible to a small child.

Security measures

The safety of the baby is in the hands of his parents. To prevent your child from getting into a situation that threatens his health and life, you need to take care of what toys he plays with. All manufacturers of children's products indicate age restrictions in the instructions. The toy may contain small parts that pose a danger to the child. All books and games are selected strictly according to age.

If there is a baby in the house, adults should remove all small, piercing and cutting objects. A little person should always play under the supervision of an adult family member. The same applies to spending time on the street, where, in addition to garbage, you can find animal feces.

From the first year of life, the baby should be prohibited from tasting inedible objects. All attempts by the child to put a coin, battery or glass in his mouth must be resolutely stopped.

Ingestion of foreign objects is quite common, especially among children who like to taste and put everything in their mouth. Moreover, in some cases, when the objects are small, have rounded edges and a safe chemical composition, this incident does not threaten health in any way. However, there are situations in which swallowed objects pose a threat not only to health, but also to human life, and the lack of timely assistance can have tragic consequences.

What is most often swallowed

Ingestion of foreign objects by adults most often occurs due to negligence - I was eating a cherry pie and accidentally swallowed a pit. Or another common situation - I decided to hang a picture, picked up a hammer, and put the nails in my mouth. Suddenly the phone rang, the shout of a person entering the room, loss of balance - and now the carnation ends up being swallowed. As for children, swallowing objects occurs due to their curiosity and habit of tasting everything. And if adults do not keep an eye on their child, the object of interest may no longer be in the mouth, but ends up in the esophagus or stomach.

Often, due to an oversight by adults, small children swallow small objects, coins, and parts of toys.

Swallowing food-related objects

This situation is more typical for adults and older children, because when feeding babies, conscientious parents usually monitor the contents of the plate and do not allow bones or eggshells to enter the baby’s body. The danger of foreign objects eaten with food directly depends on their shape and size, and especially on the sharpness of the edges. Thus, an accidentally swallowed cherry pit has a round shape and small size, so it usually does not cause any harm and after a while comes out with feces. An apricot or peach pit has larger size, so if swallowed it can get stuck in the esophagus. If you swallow a plum pit, which has rather sharp edges, then in this situation mechanical damage to the wall of the esophagus or stomach is possible. The same applies to fish or chicken bones - the danger is precisely the sharp edges, which can not only scratch the mucous membrane of the organs gastrointestinal tract, but also cause their perforation - a violation of the integrity of the walls, which can lead to the development of an inflammatory process in the abdominal cavity. The bone can simply get stuck in the wall of the esophagus and cause local inflammation. If a person swallows a bone that is not stuck anywhere and does not damage the wall, then it will soon dissolve under the influence of hydrochloric acid and enzymes.

The same can be said regarding chewing gum. Contrary to popular belief that once swallowed, gum can cause the intestinal walls to stick together and cause intestinal obstruction, once swallowed it usually dissolves fairly quickly under the influence of the acidic environment of the stomach and pancreatic enzymes. There is no great danger in accidentally ingesting particles of eggshells or bay leaves with food - they can also be digested quite quickly.

The danger comes from swallowing seeds that have sharp edges in food.

Ingestion of plastic and rubber products

If you swallow small rubber products, as well as plastic objects (for example, beads or small buttons) with non-sharp edges, you should not worry too much - in most cases, these products will leave the body along with waste products in two to three days, without causing any particular harm. harm. However, it may happen that the size of the swallowed object will be larger than the pylorus - the opening through which food enters the intestines, and then the object will remain at the bottom of the stomach. The difficulty is that these objects, unlike metal ones, cannot be seen on an x-ray, so the doctor will have to resort to the help of an endoscope, which is used both for diagnosis and for removing a foreign body.

Ingestion of metal products

According to statistics, 50% of all accidentally swallowed objects are coins. In addition to coins, swallowing of small nails, pins, pieces of foil, small batteries, and dental braces is possible. A feature of all metal products is their radiopacity, i.e., it is possible to see and establish the exact localization of a given object during fluoroscopy or radiography. Products with sharp edges pose a hazard if swallowed. Alkaline batteries can cause a chemical burn to the mucous membrane, and relatively large metal products in case of prolonged contact with the wall of the esophagus or stomach can lead to the formation of bedsores or even tissue necrosis. It should be noted that in the case of successful evacuation from the stomach, the metal product, like any other swallowed object, practically ceases to pose a danger, i.e., the intestines are very rarely damaged.

One day, a friend of mine lost her small engagement ring. And since her child was only one and a half years old at that time, and he was just beginning to take his first steps in understanding the world around him, he tasted everything. As a result, suspicion immediately fell on him. The frightened mother immediately grabbed the child and rushed to the hospital for an x-ray. However, there was no ring in the picture, and the doctors advised him to observe the contents of the pot for a while, just in case. The next three days were devoted to a thorough study of the child’s waste products, and on the fourth day the poor woman saw a kitten, as if nothing had happened, chasing this ring across the floor. The mother’s relief knew no bounds, and since then her apartment has been in perfect order.

Swallowed metal bodies can be seen using x-ray examination

What are the most dangerous items to swallow?

The most dangerous thing is to swallow objects with sharp, uneven, torn edges, since they can damage the mucous membrane of the esophagus or stomach, cause their perforation (through damage to the wall), and cause internal bleeding. In this case, it becomes unimportant whether this object is a fish bone, a toothpick or an accidentally swallowed pin - both are practically indistinguishable from each other in terms of the possible mechanism of action and the severity of the consequences. Elderly people often swallow removable dentures and dental pins, which can get stuck in various parts of the esophagus. Often these products have uneven edges that can injure the mucous membrane, so most often such situations require medical intervention. But swallowing a dental filling usually does not pose any danger - it is very small. A certain risk is also posed by ingestion of objects that have an unsafe chemical composition - the same batteries - due to the possibility of getting chemical burn or poisoning.

It should be noted that accidental or intentional ingestion of pieces of cotton wool, small insects, snus (a type of tobacco that is placed between the jaw and upper or lower lip) does not pose any particular danger to the body. Remember - in some Asian countries insects are successfully eaten, and tobacco is not only smoked, but also chewed.

Video: what happens if you swallow glass

Sometimes swallowing objects is a sign of mental illness - unhealthy people, suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, can deliberately swallow pins or other sharp objects, cutlery, blades, nails, hair, paper, cellophane. This can lead to both damage to internal organs and the formation of stomach stones - bezoars. For example, with obsessive hair swallowing syndrome, so-called trichobezoars may form in the stomach, which not only interfere with normal digestion, but can also cause gastrointestinal obstruction. Removal of foreign bodies from mentally ill people must be carried out under general anesthesia. After removal of gastric stones in such patients, the situation can repeat itself repeatedly.

Symptoms and signs of foreign object ingestion

According to statistics, in approximately 70% of cases foreign bodies get stuck in the esophagus, in 20% of cases they end up in the stomach, and only in 10% they end up in the intestines. The symptoms of the process depend on its location, the structure and size of the stuck object, as well as the duration of its stay in the gastrointestinal tract. Signs of ingestion of foreign objects are divided into local, depending on the location of the stuck object, and general - increased salivation, nausea and vomiting, dull pain at the location of the foreign body, pain during palpation, with prolonged exposure - general weakness, lack of appetite, possible development obstructive jaundice.

Depending on where the object is stuck, the following symptoms characteristic of the localization of the process are distinguished:

when located in the upper parts of the esophagus, swallowing disorders and sore throat are noted; when the lumen of the esophagus is blocked, regurgitation and return of undigested food are possible;
in case of compression of the trachea and larynx, breathing disorders, shortness of breath, hoarseness of voice are noted, patients take a forced position;
when a foreign body is in the stomach, heaviness and bursting pain are noted, intensifying after eating, and the appearance of metallic taste in the mouth;
when a foreign object is located in the area of the pylorus - the narrow junction of the stomach into the duodenum - a clinic of intestinal obstruction is noted (vomiting of gastric contents, cramping pain, yellowness of the skin);
with perforation of internal organs with sharp edges, bloody vomiting may occur; with heavy bleeding, pale skin, tachycardia, decreased blood pressure, and even loss of consciousness are noted;
A foreign object swallowed, if it passes safely through the esophagus and stomach, usually does not pose a danger to the intestines; in very rare cases, a picture of intestinal obstruction may develop (cramping pain, nausea and vomiting, stool retention and lack of gas discharge).

Diagnostics

The main diagnostic methods are a thorough history taking, examination of the patient, as well as fluoroscopic and endoscopic examinations. Fluoroscopy may detect metal objects, as well as large swallowed meat and fish bones. In case of ingestion of non-radiopaque objects, an X-ray examination with barium sulfate is indicated - in this case, the foreign body will be visualized as a filling defect.

Endoscopic methods - gastroscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy - relate not only to diagnostic, but also to therapeutic measures, since they allow you to detect a foreign object, clarify its location, determine its size, and, if necessary, remove it using special forceps or loops.

Using an endoscope, you can not only detect, but also remove foreign bodies of the esophagus or stomach

First aid for swallowing foreign bodies

If a foreign body is swallowed by an adult and a child is suspected of swallowing a foreign object, you can take a wait-and-see approach for a while and monitor the victim, but only if you are convinced that the swallowed object has smooth edges, is small in size and is chemically safe. In 80% of cases, swallowed objects pass through the rectum on their own, in 18% they require additional therapeutic and diagnostic measures, and only a little more than 1% require surgical intervention.

What to do:

First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the behavior of the victim - in young children this may be anxiety, irritability, crying, increased salivation, difficulty swallowing, refusal to eat, vomiting food or liquid. In this case, you should immediately call an ambulance. Swallowing small batteries and objects with sharp edges is especially dangerous. If you know for sure that this has happened, you should call an ambulance immediately, without waiting for symptoms to appear.
If objects are swallowed by small children, make sure that the object does not get into respiratory tract. If this happens, the baby will have a convulsive cough, facial cyanosis, and signs of suffocation. In this situation, it is necessary to call an ambulance immediately, and before it arrives, you should place the child on your lap upside down, the angle of inclination should be approximately 60 o, and gently tap the edge of your palm between the shoulder blades.
If you know exactly what object the child swallowed, you are sure that there are no sharp edges and the possibility of damage to internal organs, the child is calm and does not refuse food - you need to carefully monitor the child’s stool to make sure that the foreign body has passed out on its own. Otherwise, if the object remains in the body for a long time, it may have an adverse effect, and the possibility of surgical intervention cannot be ruled out.
When foreign objects are ingested by an adult, it is also necessary to monitor clinical manifestations. If the victim complains of pain along the esophagus, there is increased salivation, vomiting, especially with blood, or breathing problems, it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor. In the absence clinical manifestations and if there is a belief that the swallowed object does not pose a danger to internal organs, a wait-and-see approach is possible.

Video: what to do if a child chokes

What not to do if you swallow foreign objects

If an object is swallowed, stuck, and causing distress, you should never try to push it down with food or liquid. Often, when fish bones get stuck, the victim is asked to chew and swallow bread crusts. This should not be done - the bone may move from its place, but it may also get stuck in the underlying sections, causing even greater trauma to the esophagus. You should not give laxatives or drugs that increase peristalsis (wave-like movements of the intestinal wall, as a result of which food masses move through the intestines). It is also not recommended to give an enema, so as not to lead to even greater trauma to the mucous membrane.

Possible consequences and complications

Despite the fact that in most cases the ingestion of foreign objects ends safely and does not cause serious harm to health, in a number of situations the consequences can be tragic and sometimes fatal. In addition to damage to the mucous membrane of the esophagus and stomach, their perforation is possible - a through violation of the integrity of the wall by a sharp section. In this case, pneumothorax may occur - air entering the chest cavity as a result of damage to the esophagus, or peritonitis - inflammatory process, breathtaking abdominal cavity and affecting the peritoneum. These complications can arise both against the background of acute damage to the wall of internal organs by a foreign object, and as a result of a long-term presence of a foreign body in contact with the mucous membrane and the development of an area of necrosis in this place. The foreign body can be so sharp that it can cause vascular damage and internal bleeding. But the chances that a swallowed needle can enter the bloodstream are actually low.

There is a very common belief among people that constant consumption of seeds with husks, watermelons or grapes with seeds can cause the development of appendicitis. In fact, this is a common misconception - for the development of inflammation of the appendix, the presence of pathogenic microflora and a decrease in the body's defenses are necessary, and against this background, a mechanical blockage of the appendix can serve as a provoking factor. Much more often the cause of its inflammation is helminthic infestation. It should be noted here that some people can eat unpeeled seeds for years and still remain with their appendix unchanged, while others end up in a hospital bed with an attack of appendicitis, even despite a pathological predilection for not only thoroughly cleaning everything, but also pouring boiling water over it before consumption.

In some cases, a swallowed foreign body is a serious surgical problem that requires not only correct diagnosis, but also the timely development of the correct treatment tactics. Almost any disease is easier to prevent than to treat, so care must be taken both when preparing and eating food, and also to prevent small children from swallowing foreign objects.

In the first two years of life, children put in mouth various items. Almost anything your baby can reach can be tasted and tucked into his cheek. Little researchers learn about the world this way, but unfortunately this method of studying the environment has its obvious disadvantages. Everything that goes into your mouth may enter the stomach. A foreign object that a child swallows can become a threat to his health and life.

Children often swallow small parts from toys (separate ones and those that were torn off), batteries, coins, cherry pits, and so on. A danger to a child's health is posed by sharp objects that emit toxic fumes and can be attracted to each other.

The child swallowed a round object

A small, non-toxic, round object is the safest option. In a day he will come out on his own. Feed your baby porridge or applesauce so that the foreign object leaves the child’s body as quickly as possible. Pediatricians categorically do not recommend giving dry food to push an object or induce vomiting. Similar violent measures may lead to internal damage.

The baby swallowed a coin - is it dangerous?

A coin that enters a child's body can cause severe serious consequences. It can block the airway or scratch the wall of the esophagus. There is no need to be afraid of oxidation; for this, the coin will have to spend time in the stomach 3-4 days. Small coins in most cases “slip through” without consequences, but make sure the fact that they have left the child’s body is absolutely necessary.

Swallowed a potentially dangerous object

If you suspect that a child has swallowed blade, battery, needle or other dangerous object, you must immediately contact a pediatric surgeon. Before the examination, it is important that the baby remains calm and does not run. It is strictly forbidden to give an enema, induce vomiting, give a laxative, or otherwise help a foreign object leave the body.

Of particular danger are batteries. Contacting the walls of the intestines or stomach with two poles at once, they cause damage mucous membranes. Batteries contain corrosive toxic substances, which are intensively secreted under the influence of gastric juice. Within one hour of being in the stomach, the battery can cause an ulcer, and after a few hours a hole can form in the stomach wall. If a child swallows a battery, take him to a doctor.

One swallowed magnet not dangerous, but in combination with other magnets or metal objects, may cause damage. Being in different loops of the esophagus, these objects will attract and can provoke acute conditions, in particular intestinal obstruction.

How to know when to worry

It is not always the case that a child swallows foreign objects in front of adults. You can understand that a baby has swallowed a foreign object by the following signs:

There is intense salivation
The baby complains of acute pain in the tummy
Vomiting begins
The child coughs, often with shortness of breath
Have difficulty breathing
The temperature rises sharply
Stool with blood
Baby refuses food

In such cases, do not wait for events to develop; call a doctor.

How to create a safe environment for your baby

A healthy baby is active and enjoys learning the world around us. Parents need to create for him safe environment without compromising development.

All small and dangerous objects should be out of reach of a small person.
It is necessary to remove all unnecessary things from the floor; it is better to install special locks on the lower sections of cabinets.
Choose toys according to age. Constantly check that all small components of toys are in place.
In order to understand whether it is possible to give a child a particular toy, you can use a special tester. If the entire object fits into the tester, then the probability of being swallowed is quite high.
Do not give your child toys that have batteries or magnets that are poorly secured and not securely hidden. Eliminate the possibility that your baby will get the battery out on his own. It is worth wrapping the remote control with tape to make it impossible to get the battery out.

Simple precautions will keep you out of trouble.

Have you encountered similar problems? Please share your opinion and experience!

The article was prepared as part of the “Children are Safe” initiativeproject “Prevention of non-communicable diseases, promotion of healthylifestyle and support for the modernization of the healthcare system in the RepublicBelarus" (“BELMED”), financed by the European Union and implementedUNDP, WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA in partnership with the Ministryhealthcare of the Republic of Belarus. The publication does not reflect the officialposition of the EU and UNDP.

If the baby swallows a smooth object without sharp corners, then there is no need to worry too much - wait, and the object will leave the body naturally along with the stool. However, still carefully monitor your child’s well-being. If he starts to feel sick or his temperature rises, consult a doctor immediately. You should also immediately seek medical help if your baby swallows a sharp object. If you see that a child has swallowed some really dangerous object - a needle or a toothpick or any other metal object - rush to the doctor, regardless of the child’s well-being.

If you do not notice a swallowed object in your child’s stool within two days, you should also consult a doctor.

You should not sit idle for a long time if your child has swallowed something. Some objects can not only damage the walls of the esophagus and intestines, but also cause poisoning. Therefore, consult your doctor immediately.

How to teach a child not to put everything he can get his hands on in his mouth?

The main problem is that children It is impossible to wean a child from “tasting” everything- after all, this is how the baby learns about the world around him. This behavior will be characteristic of him until he reaches the age of five. That is, no amount of persuasion, explanation or request can force a child not to put anything in his mouth.

Therefore, all that parents can do at this time is to closely monitor their child.

Firstly, try to dangerous objects and products remained out of the baby’s visibility. Such potentially dangerous items include: deflated balloons, any small objects, popcorn, in general, everything that can damage the walls of the esophagus or that a baby can choke on. Parents need to be especially attentive if they go on a visit with their child. In a friend’s apartment there may be a huge number of objects that a child will definitely want to taste. Also be vigilant when traveling outdoors with your child.

When buying toys and clothes for your baby, you should carefully check that the product does not have buttons or other small parts that a child may swallow.

In addition, in case the baby did swallow small item and choked on it, it is useful for parents to know the rules of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

What should you do if your child swallows something and chokes?

If a child chokes and starts coughing - don't bother him. It is quite possible that the baby himself coughs up the object. When you see it in the child's mouth, carefully remove the object. Do not try to pull the object out of the baby's throat by sticking your fingers deep into the baby's mouth - you will only worsen the situation and will not help the baby.

If a child cannot independently cope with suffocation, begins to blush, choke and cannot speak - urgently call an ambulance. While the ambulance is traveling, give him first aid.

How you can help your child:

Families with small children know that young researchers explore the world very actively, and this may not always be safe. Most often, children touch everything they can reach, and sometimes they try new things. unfamiliar objects and pull them into their mouths, not understanding the danger. If a child swallows something, parents are terrified! They begin to think about what harm an object accidentally or deliberately swallowed could cause to their baby. Therefore, mothers and fathers need to know exactly what to do if the baby swallows something inedible.

Objects that are dangerous or harmless to health - how to find out?

Sometimes parents worry in vain, so it is useful to know a rough list of what usually does not cause any harm to the child, and after a time is eliminated from his body naturally. Safe Items to Swallow:

small parts from a designer, for example, Lego;
small buttons;
various small beads or seed beads;
small-sized coins;
other small items.

But there are cases when swallowed objects can cause harm to health, sometimes even irreparable. Therefore, if your baby has swallowed something life-threatening, you should immediately consult a doctor. Considered hazardous to health and requiring immediate response:

any tablets, even in single quantities;
all toxic substances or something poisonous, such as insect poison;
large diameter coins;
any long objects (from 3 cm long - for children under one year old; from 5 cm - for children over one year old);
batteries regardless of their shape and size;
magnets in quantity more than one;
foil.

If your baby swallows these or similar objects, call a doctor immediately. Because if any of these items stay in the body for a long time, it is fraught with bad consequences.

What should you pay attention to first if your baby swallows a foreign body?- What is the child’s general condition? If he is as active as before, then there is no need to worry. The swallowed thing will come out naturally, so to speak. If he continues to actively play or do something else without complaints about his health, then there is no need to panic.

The baby swallowed a round object

A small, non-toxic, round object is the safest option. In a day he will come out on his own. Feed your baby porridge or applesauce so that the foreign object leaves the child’s body as quickly as possible. Pediatricians categorically do not recommend giving dry food to push an object or induce vomiting. Such violent measures can lead to internal injuries.

Swallowed a coin - is it dangerous?

A coin that enters a child’s body can cause quite serious consequences. It can block the airway or scratch the wall of the esophagus. There is no need to be afraid of oxidation; for this, the coin will have to spend 3-4 days in the stomach. In most cases, small coins “slip through” without consequences, but it is imperative to make sure that they have left the child’s body.

Swallowed a potentially dangerous object

If you suspect that a child has swallowed a blade, battery, needle or other dangerous object, you should immediately contact a pediatric surgeon. Before the examination, it is important that the baby remains calm and does not run. It is strictly forbidden to give an enema, induce vomiting, give a laxative, or otherwise help a foreign object leave the body.

Batteries are especially dangerous. Contacting the walls of the intestines or stomach with two poles at once, they lead to damage to the mucous membranes. Batteries contain aggressive toxic substances that are intensively released under the influence of gastric juice. Within one hour of being in the stomach, the battery can cause an ulcer, and after a few hours a hole can form in the stomach wall. If a child swallows a battery, take him to a doctor.

A single magnet swallowed is not dangerous, but if combined with other magnets or metal objects, it may cause damage. Being in different loops of the esophagus, these objects will be attracted and can provoke acute conditions, in particular intestinal obstruction.

Foil

You should be especially vigilant when it comes to foil. Foil can be very dangerous if ingested. The safest thing would be if the foil gets into the digestive tract, as it does not cause any discomfort or health problems. Unfortunately, there are also severe cases where swallowed foil causes great harm.

Once in the respiratory tract, foil restricts the flow of air to the lungs, which can result in hypoxia. When the larynx or trachea is damaged by foil, coughing and vomiting usually occur. This is a protective reaction of the body, which tries to cope with the ingress of a foreign body. Often at this moment the child will not be able to say anything, and sometimes will not even be able to take a breath. In this case, you should not hesitate and wait for everything to end; you should immediately call an ambulance.

It is also necessary to contact qualified specialists if there is blood in the child’s mouth. This means that the foil has scratched the larynx or esophagus. Even if a child swallowed a small piece of foil and did not show any of the described signs, you need to observe for three days to see whether the foil came out naturally. Otherwise, the presence of foil in the body can lead to dire consequences, including disruption of the central nervous system.

Note to moms!

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The most important thing: if something still bothers parents or a child, they should definitely consult a doctor! This is exactly the case where it is better to be safe than sorry.

If you are not sure whether your child swallowed something or not? The most obvious signs that your baby has swallowed something are:

The child complains of nausea and vomits;
The child cries because of abdominal pain;
His stool changes in appearance;
Sudden change of mood;
Increased body temperature;
Of course, in the event of loss of consciousness, it is also quite likely that he swallowed something.

Surgeon Anton Lysov advises: what to do if a child swallows a foreign object

Coins, batteries, toy parts, pectoral crosses and even parts of a metal drill. In medical parlance, all of these are foreign bodies. As a rule, children aged from one to three years try everything around. Often everything happens in a matter of seconds. Parents, succumbing to panic, do not understand what to do. How to avoid foreign bodies getting into the body and what to do if this has already happened, surgeon Anton Lysov will tell you in the “Little Things in Life” program.

What should be done immediately as soon as a child swallows an object?

Ask the child to open his mouth. It is quite possible that the baby has not yet swallowed, but simply put something inedible in his mouth. In this case, you should not scare the child, but carefully remove the object.
If the object has actually been swallowed and dangerous symptoms are present, call a doctor immediately.
Observe the baby’s condition, even if at first it seems that everything is fine. Active games, good mood, the absence of complaints will show that everything is actually in order and there is no need to worry.
When the parents have not noticed what exactly the child has swallowed, you can ask the baby himself if he can already talk or is able to point to a similar object.

The reason to immediately seek medical help is:

vomiting, nausea, hemoptysis, increased salivation;
acute pain in the larynx, esophagus, stomach area;
loss of appetite or refusal to eat;
increased body temperature;
blood during bowel movements or in stool.

If one or more of these symptoms are present, it does not matter how small the object was swallowed. You need to immediately call an ambulance, and while it is on its way, help the baby yourself in the right way.

What to do and what not to do before the medical team arrives

If an object has passed the oral cavity and is stuck somewhere below, but the baby can breathe freely, in no case should you try to pull out the foreign body yourself or “push” the swallowed object with food! It is also prohibited to give laxatives. Sometimes you can hear advice that a crust of bread or drinking plenty of fluids helps. But under no circumstances should the baby be fed or watered! If the child is very thirsty, or if the mouth is dry, you can simply moisten the lips or wipe them with a damp cloth. In addition, it is necessary to collect your thoughts, calm down and reassure the child, and also prepare the necessary documents for possible hospitalization in a hospital.

Only if the child begins to choke, do the following:

Place the baby on your knee so that his head is down.
Gently tap the edge of your palm between the shoulder blades, directing the movements from bottom to top.

Children under one year old are placed on the hand so that the head is lowered down, and the baby’s mouth is opened with a finger from the same hand. After that, according to the same rules, they clap on the back.

If the baby is not choking, you just need to provide him with peace and make sure that he is in a comfortable position, making a minimum of movements. The actions taken in this case are not only inappropriate, but also dangerous: you can accidentally move a swallowed object so that it blocks the airway or causes acute pain.

How do doctors act in a hospital?

The simplest and most effective test is an x-ray, which can be used to determine the location of a foreign body. Not all objects may be visible, so additional ultrasound or endoscopic examination may be necessary. Typically, children are kept in the hospital for 2-3 days to monitor their condition or decide whether further intervention is needed. If the object is small and does not pose a threat to health, then the child is provided with rest and with each bowel movement they check whether the foreign body has come out.

Dangerous objects must be urgently removed from the body; in this case, the endoscopic method almost always helps. The essence of this method is simple: using an endoscope and a special loop or clamps, they pull the object out through the mouth, and in some cases, push the foreign body further so that it leaves the body naturally. In especially severe cases, laparoscopic or abdominal surgery is prescribed, but this happens extremely rarely.

How to protect your child so that an unpleasant incident does not happen

If possible, you should always keep your child in sight, especially if he is a very small child who has just learned to move independently. Any items that pose even the slightest danger must be removed to a safe place. With older children, you need to talk about safety in language that is accessible to their age. It is worth carefully inspecting all the toys you buy and keeping an eye on the ones you already have so that they are not damaged. Parental love and care, as well as following certain rules, will help protect the child from trouble, and, if necessary, provide first aid if the baby has swallowed something.

Note to moms!

Hello girls! Today I will tell you how I managed to get in shape, lose 20 kilograms, and finally get rid of the terrible complexes of fat people. I hope you find the information useful!