What If My Child Swallows An Object? – Being Parents
If my child swallows something , the first thing to do is to stay calm and check events properly to know exactly what they have swallowed. In most cases this is nothing to be alarmed about, because if he does not have worrying symptoms, you will not need urgent medical assistance. In general, the foreign body will be expelled by natural means after 24-48 hours or within a maximum period of 5 days.
In some cases, you may need to go to the hospital to take an x-ray which will locate the object inside your child’s body and monitor the situation; it all depends on the size and shape of the object in relation to the age of the child.
It should be noted that only foreign bodies located in the esophagus, and those with a volume incompatible with transit through the digestive tract will be extracted through endoscopy.
If your child does not have worrying symptoms, there is usually no medical emergency; however, it is best to consult a professional if in doubt. However, in case of ingestion of toxic objects, it is essential to consult a doctor urgently to avoid any complications.
What should I do if my child swallows an object ?
In cases where the child cannot speak or has difficulty breathing, the following advice should be applied:
- Stay behind him and place your arms on his chest.
- Lean the child forward at belt height until the upper airways are parallel to the floor.
- With the other hand, give five firm strokes between the shoulder blades.
- If the object has not come off, form a fist with one hand and place it just above his navel; put the other hand on your fist and perform 5 quick strokes inward and up the abdomen.
- Continue with the previous maneuver until the object comes off or the child begins to breathe or cough.
- If he loses consciousness, get emergency medical help.
- If you know it, practice cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
- In case the child can speak, calm him down and ask him what he has swallowed.
What not to do if your child swallows an object
- Do not panic: you must maintain calm, despite the anxiety and anxiety, so as not to make your child nervous and act effectively.
- By no means should you try to extract the object with dangerous maneuvers: these actions are doomed to failure.
- Do not try to make your child vomit: otherwise you will expose your child to inhaling stomach contents.
- Do not hit its back or give it fluids: these actions can move the ingested object and turn the partial obstruction into a total obstruction.
“Generally, the foreign body will be expelled by natural means after 24-48 hours or within a maximum of 5 days”.
When should I go to the hospital if my child swallows an object?
You must remain vigilant if your child swallows anything as the following cases will require medical attention:
- Pain in the throat or neck.
- Cough and difficulty breathing. Indeed, the object can lodge in the respiratory tract.
- Vomiting and stomach pain.
- Inability to swallow saliva.
- The ingested object is a battery, a magnet or a sharp object.
- The skin is pale or blue.
- Symptoms of asphyxiation.
How can I prevent my child from swallowing an object?
- Do not let him play with objects that are too small.
- Watch your child during meals and cut food into small pieces.
- Introduce solid foods into their diet.
- Teach him to eat calmly, not to speak with his mouth full, and to chew well.
- Avoid children walking, running, or playing with food or toys in their mouths.
- Children under the age of 4 should not eat foods that they cannot easily digest, such as candy, popcorn, and whole dried fruits.
- Do not feed him when he cries.
- Watch that he plays with toys that are appropriate for his age and that do not contain small parts.
To conclude, keep in mind that most of the ingested items will be passed in the stool a day or two after your child has swallowed it. Therefore, it will suffice to check the stool for a few days to see if it has expelled it, although the expulsion can sometimes take up to 3 weeks.
