Kids try to explore and experience everything by placing objects in their hands, and yes, most of the time by putting things in their mouth. And in such a situation, they sometimes swallow things, and this can be intimidating for parents that the baby has swallowed a coin, button battery, magnet, part of a toy, or even a food item stuck somewhere is bound to happen.
To begin with, a natural reaction of any parent will be panicking. Nevertheless, there is one thing that needs to be emphasized before anything else – not everything that has been swallowed by a child is an emergency, nor is it harmless. What is crucial here is to understand what the child has swallowed. For example, the coin is not as dangerous for the baby as the button battery or magnet is.
What should you immediately do?
It is very important in this case to act in time; however, it is no race at all. Everything should be done correctly and without panic.
Do’s:
- Stay calm and stay close to the child
- Know the name of the substance that the child has swallowed
- Keep the container or some other object that can help the doctors figure out what the child has swallowed
- Call your pediatrician or emergency service in case the child has swallowed something dangerous
Don’ts:
- Do not try to make the child vomit
- Do not give anything to eat trying to push the object through
- Do not try to take the object out of the child’s mouth or throat yourself by using your fingers
- Do not hesitate in case the child has swallowed a magnet or button battery
Understand the cases one by one.
1. Swallowed Coin: is it dangerous?
Coins are among the most frequently swallowed foreign bodies in toddlers. Luckily, in the majority of cases do not represent any danger to the body. And you must agree, many of you might have done that in your childhood as well.
Several coins may easily pass through a toddler’s digestive system without any problems within 2 days. However, if a coin is stuck in the esophagus and does not move into the stomach, it might be necessary to seek professional assistance to extract the coin. Signs that the coin is stuck in the esophagus and needs to be extracted include the following:
- Difficulties with swallowing
- Excessive salivation
- Choking or coughing
- Pain in the chest or neck area
- Problems with breathing
- Vomiting
Recommendation for parents: Swallowing coins should not be a reason to worry; however, in case one of the symptoms listed above arises after the child has swallowed a coin, it is necessary to visit a doctor.
2. Button Batteries: an urgent case!
Small disc-shaped batteries used in remotes, watches, games, and hearing aids are extremely dangerous when swallowed by your child, as they are likely to get stuck in their esophagus. The thing about these batteries that makes them extremely dangerous is that the battery might start causing injuries to the adjacent tissue extremely fast, even before any symptoms arise.
When you realize that your kid has swallowed the battery, don’t delay and rush him to the hospital, because-
- If the battery is stuck in the esophagus or digestive tract, then bodily fluids can trigger an electric shock.
- Caustic soda in a battery can rapidly melt soft tissues.
- In severe cases, it can burn the esophagus, damage the vocal cords, and erode major blood vessels.
- It would be useful if you could note the battery type and size and take the packaging along with you. In case of button battery ingestion, take your kid to the hospital immediately, regardless of how well he feels.
3. Magnets: Why are they so dangerous?
While a single magnet will not represent any hazard when being swallowed, just like a coin, the risk becomes evident when two or more magnets are swallowed together with other metallic objects.
Why is it so?
The very logic behind this is that magnets will start attracting each other from inside the walls of the intestines, thus causing tissue damage of tissues and, in some instances, resulting in an intestinal obstruction and serious internal injuries. It is important to mention that the symptoms of swallowing magnets will occur with some delay; therefore, you should take your child to the doctor no matter what doubt about swallowing a magnet exists.
4. Small toy parts, plastic pieces and other objects
Other objects, such as small parts of toys, Lego-like building pieces, marbles, plastic elements, balls, and other similar objects tend to be swallowed by children, especially those who have older brothers and sisters at home.
- Size-smaller objects are relatively safe.
- Shape-round objects are relatively safe compared to others
- Materials-there are certain materials which are more hazardous
- Location-is the object located in the stomach?
All items that have sharp edges, pointed, elongated, or bizarre shapes must necessarily be taken into account by a doctor in any case because such objects can easily hurt some internal organs on their way down the digestive tract.
When should you call for an ambulance?
Whatever item your child has ingested, you need to seek out emergency care services if any of the following conditions apply:
- Difficulty breathing and choking
- Coughing continuously after ingesting an object
- Discoloration of the skin and/or lips (becoming pale or blue)
- Increased salivation and difficulty swallowing
- Pain in the chest, throat, and abdominal area
- Vomiting
- Blood in vomit and/or stools
- Behavioral changes or lethargy
- Swallowing of button batteries or magnets irrespective of whether or not you observe any of the above-mentioned symptoms
- It is very important to remember that the absence of any symptoms doesn’t mean that the object won’t cause any harm at all. In particular, in the case of ingestion of button batteries or magnets.
Management and diagnosis of ingested foreign body
For the sake of your child, let us suppose that you will have to see a doctor concerning the ingested foreign body. The following will be done, and there is no need to assume the worst-case scenario.
The doctor will have to ask questions and examine your child regarding the ingested foreign body. By conducting an X-ray test, the ingested foreign body can be identified, and this will give information about the location of the ingested foreign body. If the ingested foreign body, such as coins, buttons, batteries, and magnets, is in the stomach and is passing well, then observation is what will be needed till the ingested foreign body passes out.
In case the ingested foreign body is blocking the food passageway or is a dangerous one, such as batteries and magnets, then the ingested foreign body will have to be removed from the body of your child. This removal depends on the type of ingested foreign body and the location of the ingested foreign body, and this will be done using a procedure called endoscopy. No surgeries or treatments are involved in all cases, and there is no need to assume the worst case.
How Can Parents Help to Prevent This?
A couple of steps that parents could undertake to make their home safer for their baby:
- Keep button batteries and magnets away from your baby’s hands and store them safely.
- Check the condition of toys for any cracks, loose or removable parts.
- Obey the age recommendations on toys.
- Keep coins, jewelry, screws, and other small items away from your toddlers.
- Ensure the compartments of toys and remote controls are well sealed.
- Teach older kids to keep their small items away from their younger brother or sister.
Conclusion
Parents would always worry when thinking about the possibility that their kid would swallow an object that is not supposed to be swallowed. It is crucial to remain calm and have some knowledge on the subject. It should be understood that not everything that may be swallowed by your child is equally dangerous. Swallowing a coin is less dangerous than swallowing button batteries and several magnets. If you are in doubt concerning the severity of your problem, contact a doctor and follow his recommendations.
In case your child has swallowed something, but you don’t know what to do next, contact the team at Cradle Children’s Hospital, because panicking is not the solution.
