What to do if a child swallows a foreign object. If a child swallows something If a child swallows a wood chip symptoms

Has a small child swallowed a button or other foreign body? Should I be worried right away or should I just watch his behavior for a day or more? What to do, since a swallowed object poses a certain danger - provide help yourself or contact a specialist? Agree, the topic is very pressing, and we will pay special attention to it.

Primitive man, comprehending the world around him, first of all, tried everything new with his tongue. He discovered edible fruits and vegetables, roots, cereal plants, etc. Such behavior was dictated by instinct.

It is precisely this circumstance - a primitive instinct - that explains the fact that small children intuitively “test everything” that comes into their hands. Since children, starting from a certain age, become truly omnipresent, no matter how you monitor their behavior, the moment comes when you understand the danger of the phenomenon.

Memo to parents

You can understand the fact of the incident by the child’s further behavior:

large objects getting stuck in the larynx cause discomfort to the baby, the baby begins to cough, grunt, and cry. Children begin to salivate profusely, belching, sometimes hiccups, nausea and even vomiting. A recently eaten breakfast or lunch immediately ends up outside;
smaller bodies are able to slip into the child’s ventricle without problems; they become aware of them only after they come out along with the child’s feces.

Every parent should:

Take maximum precautions to keep your child safe. When the baby begins to crawl, walk, and manages to reach the lower shelves and cabinets, everything that falls into his hands risks ending up in his mouth. Therefore – vigilance and vigilance again! When buying a battery-powered toy, make sure that it is impossible for a child to remove them.
Know what to do in extreme situations when a swallowed body can harm a child.

A severe cough without signs of a cold is a signal of a swallowed object

Signs of a swallowed object

Did everything happen in your absence? Identify the swallowed object: the health, and sometimes the life of the child, is at stake. Even if the baby does not say anything, symptoms may begin to appear over time:

saliva flows profusely;
a sharp pain appears in the abdomen, the tummy swells;
the child begins to feel sick and vomit;
the baby coughs a lot;
breathing problems appear;
the temperature rises sharply;
the child suddenly refuses to eat;
There is blood in the baby's stool.

These signs also indicate other problems with the child’s health. But, trying to understand what happened, one should not discount the possibility of the baby swallowing a foreign object.

Possible harm

When swallowing some small thing such as a bolt, nut, coin, parts of a disassembled toy, or a fruit seed, the child does not experience any unpleasant sensations, but fear is possible. Sometimes children, fearing punishment, do not tell their parents anything. The absence of complaints about the baby’s well-being either on the day of the incident or on subsequent days indicates that there are no problems - in a couple of days the object will probably leave the body on its own.

Knowing about the swallowed object, try to track the moment of removal from the body, carefully checking each baby’s stool. A swallowed, harmless object will come out in three to four days. But if a week has passed and the item has not come out, consult a doctor.

The presence of sharp edges and large size will aggravate the situation:

a swallowed needle, carnation, or other sharp object gets stuck anywhere in the baby’s intestines and stomach, threatening to pierce their walls;
large objects that are not able to come out on their own, for example, a swallowed metal ball, remaining in the stomach for a long time, eventually damage or pierce its walls, causing bleeding;
Button batteries contain chemicals, are toxic and life threatening.

Classification of dangerous items

A small child can swallow a lot. But there are foreign bodies that are most often swallowed by children. Alas, this fact is confirmed by the medical practice of surgeons. It is important to know their classification:

Non-hazardous: objects without sharp corners, protrusions, jagged edges, round, smooth bodies. Just ask yourself a question: will the object slip through the gastrointestinal tract without any problems, and then be quietly pooped out by the baby? Non-hazardous items include buttons, coins, pebbles, nuts, and beads. A swallowed baby tooth is not scary either. Chewing gum, plasticine, and hair elastic are non-hazardous materials. By the way, the child’s body will digest small fragments of cellophane.
Dangerous: prickly, sharp objects, having a length of 3 cm (dangerous for children under one year old), from 5 cm (for older children). This includes large objects and those that emit toxic substances: batteries - all types. A piece of glass, a needle, a pin, a badge, a toothpick, a paper clip with a straight edge, a stapler, a nail, a screw, or a push pin are considered dangerous.

Button batteries are often swallowed by children, they are toxic, be careful!

Why batteries are dangerous

Every year, hundreds of children around the world die from swallowing button batteries. One of the adults could take it out of their gadget and put it on a shelf in order to later buy a similar one, or a child simply pulled it out of his toy. You can't wait two or three days here. After an hour, very dangerous processes will begin to occur in his body.

The stomach produces hydrochloric acid, which begins to oxidize the swallowed battery, after which the battery releases the aggressive components it contains. Eventually:

first a chemical burn occurs;
then literally an hour later purulent ulcers form;
there is a serious danger of tissue necrosis and rupture of the walls of the esophagus after a few hours.

The magnet is not toxic, but its shell is not.

Magnet problems

It is especially worth considering the situation of a child swallowing a magnet. The object itself is not scary, since it is not toxic, if it has smooth and rounded edges, is small in size, it can be classified as a non-hazardous body.

What’s worse is the baby swallowing not one, but two magnets. In the stomach they are attracted to each other, and their presence in different areas creates a dangerous situation.

You shouldn't expect problems from eating soap, but an allergic reaction is possible

Eaten Soap

Kids eat soap in the bathroom. Fact. It is not dangerous, but there is a possibility of an allergic reaction. It is better to stop keeping soaps with different chemical fragrances in your house.

Immediately after detecting soap eating, force the baby to take the drug "Enterosgel". This is a kind of sponge that moves through the gastrointestinal tract and absorbs harmful toxins and bacteria without affecting beneficial substances. After 6–8 hours, Enterosgel is completely eliminated from the body.

A swallowed piece of polyurethane foam is non-toxic and almost harmless, because over time it will easily leave the body

Are polyurethane foam and helium balloons dangerous?

A piece of polyurethane foam crushed with crumbs “with a crunch” is not dangerous while you are paying the workers after installing new doors or Euro-windows. The hardened foam is quite inert and completely airtight. This means:

it will work like a sponge and will not expand in the stomach, don’t worry;
will not dissolve under the influence of gastric juice - don’t expect it.

In half a day or a day, this building material will safely leave the baby without harming him in any way.

Regarding the gels found in everyday life, the following should be mentioned.

Silica gel is a special material that is placed, for example, in shoes to prevent unpleasant odors. Its balls are harmless, the material is non-toxic and inert, like polyurethane foam. Typically, white silica gel is used for shoes, which is comparable in harmfulness to river sand. In water, the balls lose their strength and collapse. Over time, the material is successfully eliminated from the body on its own.
Hydrogel is a kind of toy ball that can grow in water. They have a colorful appearance and look like candy, so it is not surprising that children are attracted to them. Once in the aquatic environment of a child’s body, the ball can begin to grow by leaps and bounds, and no one can guarantee its harmlessness. Therefore, if a baby swallows such a ball, you should definitely consult a doctor and quickly remove the hydrogel balls from the body.

The eaten vacuum gum from headphones will come out of the body without any problems the next day without causing harm to the child’s body.

Are headphones edible?

Thanks to the wide distribution of all kinds of gadgets that allow you to listen to music, most people in the house probably have headphones, sometimes even more than one. It is likely that sooner or later the baby will get to them and “try it on his tongue.” As a result, the vacuum bands from the headphones will be eaten.

Judging by their size, shape, and material, this foreign object does not pose any danger. In a couple of days, the rubber bands will come out entirely along with the feces, wait.

Small fruit seeds are safe, for example from cherries, sweet cherries, pomegranates

Swallowed bone

Since it is beneficial to feed children berries and fruits, due to their parents' oversight, they often choke on the pits they come across - cherries, cherries, apricots, plums. Of particular note is the fish bone. Ordinary fruit seeds are not dangerous because they do not have sharp edges. The sharp bone of the fish is already causing concern.

Child choked on a fish bone? The rules of conduct for adults are as follows:

the bone is visible in the throat. Try to remove it with tweezers or your fingers. The child should sit quietly, not scream, etc. You should illuminate the neck with a flashlight or turn the baby towards the light;
It is clearly impossible to get the bone yourself. In order not to push it even deeper, act according to the scenario of dangerous objects entering the body - call a doctor.

The cross has sharp edges and is therefore very dangerous, call an ambulance immediately if the child swallows it

Swallowed cross

It’s hardly worth mentioning that a cross, an element of religion, is too early for babies under one year old to wear. However, the little one can easily find a cross lying somewhere on a shelf on his own. Since the object has sharp edges and is far from streamlined in shape, the danger must be assessed with the utmost seriousness.

It is important to follow all first aid measures provided for the situation of a child swallowing a dangerous object.

Feathers will not cause any harm if swallowed

Chicken feathers from a pillow

The next candidate for eating is feathers, which are the filling of pillows. Doctors do not see any danger in them, and even if you call them, they will simply advise you not to worry - the feather will either leave the body on its own or dissolve in the ventricle, like any organic matter.

First aid

In a situation where a child swallows a foreign body, the parents’ actions directly depend on the object itself – whether the body is dangerous or not. If a small object that does not have sharp edges is a smooth piece from a designer, a round bead, an oblong plastic capsule, etc., you should not panic.

In all other cases, you need to take the child to the doctor as quickly as possible, but not to an appointment at the clinic, of course, but to a hospital, to a surgeon. Call an ambulance; you need to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. Perhaps the team’s doctors themselves will be able to provide some assistance or they will take you to where there is sure to be:

surgery department;
X-ray;
endoscopic apparatus;
ultrasound.

Before the ambulance arrives, under no circumstances should you influence the situation in any way. It is forbidden:

try to pull out the body yourself if it does not come back out with cough or saliva;
push the object deeper into the stomach, giving the baby, for example, to eat bread or drink breast milk;
try to give the child an enema, give a laxative or an emetic. The chances of success are low, but they can cause harm;
feed and water the child immediately after the incident.

Just try to calm the baby down, and at the same time collect the necessary documents (insurance policy, etc.). Do not play active games with your baby, let him be as calm as possible.

Be sure to pay attention to your child's behavior. If, after swallowing a foreign body, he feels well, it means that the object has “reached” the stomach, and now with a 90% probability it will “reach” the duodenum. Worse, an object gets stuck “on the way” in the larynx, the child begins to choke on it, coughs, etc. In this case:

be sure to place him with his stomach on a ledge, such as the side bolster of a sofa, or at least throw him over your knee. The baby's head should be down. If the child is still small, under one year old, you need to place his tummy on his hand, tilting it so that the upper half of the body is lowered down;
put two of your fingers, index and middle, into the child’s mouth to open it;
sharply, but not too forcefully, hit him on the back between the shoulder blades five times, as is usually done if a child has choked or choked on food. You need to hit in the direction away from you, as if you were pushing a foreign body back.

Let us repeat - everything needs to be done if the child has swallowed an object and is unable (or finds it difficult) to breathe, he is choking, coughing, etc. But with normal breathing, i.e. the foreign object does not interfere; by tapping you risk moving it back, thereby blocking the airway. Just wait for the ambulance to arrive.

Help in hospital

The injured baby will be examined in the hospital by a surgeon and pediatrician. In a fairly complex case, they will prescribe the following:

X-ray, which allows you to detect objects such as a swallowed stone, an iron ball, or a bolt. A glass object will be visible in the photo. Plastic products and wooden fragments are not recorded by x-rays;
endoscopic or ultrasound examination, which can reveal everything that is not detected by x-rays.

The child is left in the hospital for several days, a laxative is prescribed, and he will be monitored until the foreign object comes out.
The baby is prescribed endoscopic treatment, which almost always helps to remove an object located at least below the duodenum. This method is used when urgent removal of an object is necessary.
An object stuck in the gastrointestinal tract can be pushed deeper using the same device. Then everything develops according to the first scenario - laxative, doctor’s observation, etc.
Traumatic surgery is prescribed as a last resort, for example, when a child has swallowed glass and there is a serious risk of stomach perforation. Two methods of operation are used - laparoscopic and abdominal, and the first of them is more gentle (they do not make a wide incision, but small holes for inserting instruments).

Prevention – the danger must be introduced

There is a very good way to prohibit a child from not only picking up sharp objects, but even going near a box with bolts, nuts, needles, etc. After all, the main problem is the interest of children in the first years of life in literally the entire world around them. Finally, “the forbidden fruit is sweet.”

In other words, no matter how authoritatively the parents forbid the child to open a cabinet, pull out drawers containing something dangerous, no matter what “brutal” grimaces they make, small children, alas, are not able to understand all the danger, and therefore will not be afraid . Psychologists advise that children need to be introduced to danger.

For this:

It is advisable to minimize the number of hazards in the house by storing them in a limited place. Scissors, needles with threads, buttons, etc. are usually in mom’s one place, for example, in a drawer, and bolts with nuts, nails, screws are in dad’s drawer. Collect there all the other items that could harm the child if he decides to swallow them, take them to play - various paper clips, staples, crosses, magnets, etc.;
take the baby to such a place, warning in a stern voice: it’s dangerous here, you can’t climb here;
In front of him, open the same cabinet with needles, a box with tools and take out sharp things from there - an awl, a sharp nail. The baby will begin to watch your actions with interest;
carefully bring the object to his hand, as if you want to let him play, and gently (lightly!) prick it - in the finger, palm. Lightly, without causing harm, but causing fear.

So what is next? The child will withdraw his hand, get scared, cry, and try to leave. That's it - let him go, put the instrument back in its place, close the cabinet. Now the child knows that in a forbidden place there is an object that can hurt him, and not only will he not climb there, but he will even be afraid to look in that direction. As a result, all bolts, nails, paper clips, needles, etc. are safely out of reach.

The most important thing is that you don’t even have to watch the baby, he won’t go there: his personal “bitter” experience will hold him back.

In the same way, you can “introduce” the baby:

with a fire outside (bring it up, take a cooling firebrand and burn it a little);
with a hot stove in the kitchen, where there are pots of boiling water, hot frying pans, etc. (bring them in and let them touch the hot edge of the stove);
and so on.

And there is no need to consider this method inhumane - by introducing the baby to danger in miniature, in your presence, you save him in the future from cuts, and from swallowing foreign objects, and from knocking over a ladle of boiling water, and from flying sparks from the fire. No matter how much you watch your baby, sooner or later you will gape. It’s better this way - with a little pain, but avoiding a lot of misfortune.

conclusions

A child swallowing a sharp needle or a piece of glass... Any adult, even thinking about such a situation, will have a shiver running through his body. If, however, some trouble happens to your baby, don’t panic. Identify the swallowed object and classify whether it is dangerous or non-hazardous.

If it is not dangerous, you should just wait until it comes out on its own (but be sure to check the child’s stool).

If a serious threat to his health arises, do not do anything yourself, call an ambulance.

It is really difficult to monitor a baby who has just begun to learn the first steps or the technique of crawling on the floor. At this age, children do not understand the seriousness of the actions they are committing, and prohibitions on any actions remain unheeded. Often, excessive curiosity can become a real danger, because... cognition of the surrounding world occurs through touching, tasting foreign objects. A child can stick a foreign object into his nose and our separate section is devoted to first aid in this situation, as well as swallow something completely unsuitable for food.

If a child swallows a foreign body, you need to know what sequential actions to take.

It is standard practice to divide all objects that enter the gastrointestinal tract of a young family member into two groups. Some of them are deadly, others do not pose a big threat to health. The first group usually includes the following objects:

Items whose length exceeds 3 cm (children under 1 year old), and 5 cm for babies over 1 year old.
Sharp objects, such as straightened paper clips, buttons, pins, needles.
, especially in large quantities, can tightly connect and contribute to intestinal adhesion. The affected area dies, which leads to an inflammatory process in the abdominal cavity, and in some cases, sepsis.
Substances characterized by toxic and poisonous effects.

If a child has swallowed any of the above, immediate assistance from a qualified specialist is strictly indicated. While playing, a child may swallow a needle or a piece of polystyrene foam or individual plastic parts. When they remain in the stomach and esophagus for a long time, serious undesirable health consequences can occur. In a medical institution, radiography is usually performed, which helps the doctor determine the presence of a foreign body, its size, shape, and exact location.

Foreign bodies can often be located using plain radiography

As for minimally dangerous objects that a small child has swallowed, these include beads, buttons, small round fruit seeds, etc. If they get inside, it is recommended to carefully monitor the general condition of the victim.

When the baby feels satisfactory, frolics and is not capricious, does not complain of pain, there is no particular reason for parents to worry.

About the main symptoms

When a child swallows a foreign object, his reaction to external factors changes. Frequent whims are possible, there are signs that he has choked. The baby may cry often and pain when swallowing makes itself felt. The mother does not always know whether the baby has swallowed something (a bead, a coin, a battery, a sharp piece of ceramic or glass) and cannot be sure that such a foreign body will come out on its own. If there are no swallowed objects in the child’s stool, but there is a suspicion of the presence of such in the gastrointestinal tract, it is worth monitoring the manifestation of the following signs indicating the described problem:

Frequent belching.
Constant crying, complaints of abdominal pain.
Poor appetite, complete absence of it.
Sudden change in mood.
The temperature rises to 37-38 degrees.
Changes in the color or consistency of stool, sometimes there is an admixture of mucus.
Sometimes loss of consciousness occurs.

Parents often learn about a swallowed dangerous object only from the contents of the child's potty. In the worst case, information about the swallowed foreign body is learned from the treating doctor. Therefore, at the slightest suspicion that dangerous objects have entered the baby’s body, you should seek medical help and not self-medicate.

Sequencing

When foreign bodies are swallowed by a baby, they usually pass throughout the gastrointestinal tract, leaving naturally, which every parent can see. However, this does not always happen.

If it is reliably known that a foreign body has entered the body, you need to know exactly what to do if the child swallows something. The manifestation of the symptoms indicated above is a clear sign of visiting a doctor. Continuous monitoring of your baby's stool will help detect naturally passed objects.

When a child’s well-being is alarming, you should immediately call an ambulance. In addition to X-rays, endoscopic examination and ultrasound are often performed in hospital settings.

Swallowed rounded foreign bodies are of minimal danger; these can be coins of small diameter, buttons, beads without sharp edges. Such items usually come out on their own and do not require additional help.

What measures to take and what not to take

Often, uninformed parents wonder what to do if their child swallows foreign objects.

You should not immediately run to the bathroom and prepare enemas, which will not bring a positive effect and will only harm the baby.

Acceleration of the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract can provoke injuries to individual organs with sharp edges. Often in such situations, intestinal obstruction occurs due to an object getting stuck.

A parent who is absolutely sure that a foreign body will enter the child’s body must take precautions and call an ambulance. You should not remove the item yourself, because... The baby’s condition may worsen and additional injury may occur. It is not recommended to offer food or drink to the victim, or to shake out a foreign object by turning the child upside down (in the case of large objects with sharp elements). Nothing good should be expected from such actions.

Do not try to remove a foreign body yourself

What to do if a child swallows foreign bodies in the form of a small round bead, ball, coin, button. Eating foods enriched with fiber facilitates the rapid passage of such items naturally (during defecation). It can be bran, fresh vegetables, fruits. Sometimes parents are not completely sure that the child has swallowed something. In this case, if the baby is feeling normal, it is necessary to observe his behavior and appetite for several days, and examine the feces for the presence of a foreign body. When they make themselves known alarming symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor. Here's what you should be wary of:

Diffuse or localized pain in the abdominal area, which periodically subsides and returns again.
Repeated or continuous vomiting.
Bloody impurities in the stool that appear during bowel movements or involuntarily.

If such signs occur, the child should be immediately examined by a doctor and all necessary measures should be taken.

Prevention

You can prevent your baby from swallowing any object. To do this, potentially dangerous things and products that are of interest to the young “pathfinder” are removed from places accessible to him; constant supervision of the active child is required. Sharp tools with unscrewing parts, household chemicals, and all kinds of small items at hand should be stored in inaccessible places.

Children's toys are selected with special care. They must fully correspond to the age of the baby.

Thus, for the youngest children, large-sized objects that are simple in design, from which it is impossible to break off a separate part, will be appropriate. Toys should be purchased in special children's stores, where, if necessary, you can request a quality certificate for the product. The safety of toys is the key to the health of every child.

What to do if a child swallows a needle or other sharp, dangerous object? Of course, such a situation requires immediate qualified assistance. In a number of other cases, when small round and smooth objects enter the baby’s body, you can help them get out as quickly as possible at home.

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 it happens that they taste new unfamiliar objects and put them in 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 if 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, 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 pull out 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, a good mood, and no complaints will show that everything is actually okay 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 with the finger of the same hand the baby’s mouth is opened. 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, an object is pulled out through the mouth, and in some cases, the foreign body is pushed 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!

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No matter how hard we try to protect the baby from danger, no one is immune from accidents. Therefore, all parents should know how to provide first aid to their child. After all, the life of a baby may depend on the actions of loved ones, especially since in emergency situations, minutes sometimes count.

According to statistics, every year millions of foreign bodies enter the gastrointestinal tract of children. This occurs as a result of careless handling of small objects and due to parental oversight. How not to get confused in such a situation?

Most often, the diagnosis of “foreign body” is made in early childhood. As soon as babies begin to crawl and then walk, they quickly master territories and objects that were previously inaccessible to them, and some of them must strictly be kept out of the reach of children. Acquaintance with new objects occurs in the most detailed way through all available senses. The child needs to turn and examine the “toy” from all sides, be sure to smell it, and most importantly, determine the degree of its edibility. The result of such curiosity is that objects end up in the mouth, and then into the baby’s gastrointestinal tract or respiratory tract.

If you witness such a situation, immediately call an ambulance. The baby must be under medical supervision, even if in the first hours there are no symptoms and he feels well. Foreign bodies with sharp edges (needles, pins, badges, etc.) can get stuck in various parts of the gastrointestinal tract, which increases the risk of puncturing its wall. Large and heavy foreign bodies (for example, a metal ball) that do not come out on their own and remain in the intestine for a long time can cause significant damage to the wall with bleeding or perforation (violation of integrity). Therefore, if a foreign body enters the gastrointestinal tract, it is imperative to make sure that it comes out, for which each child’s stool is carefully inspected.

If the child was not in your field of vision when everything happened, identifying the presence of a foreign body in the gastrointestinal tract will be much more difficult. In addition, often children, fearing punishment, hide this fact from their parents.

Typically, babies swallow small things - toys or their parts, coins, buttons, fruit seeds. As a rule, the child does not experience any unpleasant sensations, except for fear. In the future, the baby may not have any complaints, since in most cases small objects come out on their own within 2-3 days.

If an object of considerable size blocks the lumen of the esophagus, then choking, profuse salivation, and possibly hiccups, belching, nausea, and vomiting immediately appear. Any food and water eaten comes back out.

Be careful of batteries!

Seek medical attention immediately if a battery is found to be a foreign body. In the stomach containing hydrochloric acid, the nutrient element, oxidizing and releasing aggressive substances, can damage the mucous membrane due to a chemical burn. Ulcers can form in this area, leading to life-threatening complications. Disc batteries are especially dangerous in the esophagus, where they can quickly cause necrosis and perforation (death and rupture) of the esophagus wall.

A child has swallowed a foreign object: what to do?

As you can see, the baby’s behavior and symptoms will depend on the size, shape, and material of the object that the child swallowed. If you suspect the presence of a foreign body in the gastrointestinal tract, the first step should be to resolve the issue of transporting the baby to the hospital as soon as possible. It is urgent to call an ambulance and take the child to a hospital, preferably to a multidisciplinary one, which has surgical, X-ray, endoscopic, and ultrasound departments available around the clock. In Moscow these are Izmailovskaya Children's City Clinical Hospital, Filatovskaya Children's City Clinical Hospital, St. Vladimir Hospital, etc.

Before the ambulance arrives, parents should not make any attempts to pull out, shake out, or “push” the foreign body further into the stomach (for example, by giving the child bread). Your actions can only cause harm. You cannot feed or give water to the child, including. You can moisten your lips with water if they are dry. We must try, if possible, to calm the baby down and collect the necessary documents for the hospital: medical insurance for the child and mother.

If the baby is coughing, choking, or choking, you can tap the edge of your palm or your fingers on his back between the shoulder blades, directing the blows from bottom to top, throwing the baby over your knee so that the upper body is lowered. A child under 1 year of age is placed face down on the arm, the head is slightly lowered, the index or middle finger of the “supporting” hand is placed in the child’s mouth, opening it, and the back is patted with the free hand. This should not be done if the baby is able to breathe, as sharp pats may dislodge the object in such a way that it blocks or causes swelling in the airway, making breathing very difficult. Do not forget that the main goal of the actions taken is to facilitate breathing (if it is difficult). If there is no difficulty breathing, then you should wait for the ambulance to arrive.

In the hospital: examination and removal

In the emergency department, the child is examined by a pediatrician and a surgeon, and if necessary, additional examinations are carried out: X-ray, endoscopic or ultrasound. It should be remembered that only metallic foreign bodies, stones and some types of glass are visible on an x-ray - plastic and wooden objects are not detected due to the texture of the material. Based on the examination and these research methods, a diagnosis is made and the level of location of the foreign body is determined. The child is left in the hospital and in most cases is observed until the object comes out on its own (usually 2-3 days), with a laxative prescribed.

If urgent removal of a foreign body is necessary or its movement through the gastrointestinal tract is difficult, then in 99% of cases the endoscopic method of treatment helps. This is possible when the foreign body is located no lower than the duodenum, where a fibroesophagogastroduodenoscope can be reached (endoscope 1, with which you can remove a foreign body from the upper parts of the gastrointestinal tract: esophagus, stomach, initial parts of the small intestine). Removal of a foreign body occurs using an endoscopic loop, basket or clamps passed through an endoscope, which is inserted through the mouth 2.

Sometimes a foreign body can be pushed through with a device, and in the future, when taking a laxative, this will help it leave the body naturally faster. If it is not possible to remove the foreign body endoscopically, laparoscopic or abdominal surgery is performed, which is always more traumatic for the body and is associated with a much larger number of possible complications. Laparoscopic surgery differs from abdominal surgery in that a large incision is not made on the anterior abdominal wall, but a laparoscope 3 and special surgical instruments used by surgeons are inserted into the abdominal cavity through small holes. The method of surgical intervention is chosen by the surgeon depending on where the foreign body is located, what its shape and size are, taking into account the child’s condition.

Prevention

You should not leave your baby alone unattended. It is necessary to remove small dangerous objects out of reach of the baby. You should be extremely careful when choosing toys: they should be appropriate for the baby’s age and not have small or easily breakable parts.

1 Endoscope - (Greek endo - “inside”, skopeo - “to examine, examine”) is the general name of tubular optical devices with a lighting device, designed for visual examination of cavities and channels of the body into which the endoscope is inserted through natural or artificial openings.
2 See article "Endoscopy", No. 4, 2007.
3 A laparoscope (Greek lapara - belly, skopeo - “to examine, examine”) is a type of endoscope, which is a metal tube with a complex system of lenses and a light guide. The laparoscope is designed to transmit images from the abdominal cavity of the human body.

Alexey Krasavin, endoscopist,
Izmailovskaya Children's City Clinical Hospital, Moscow

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