What Do I Do If My Child Has Swallowed An Object?

Swallowing an object is dangerous, as it can block the airways and cause asphyxiation. Although it is a risk that any person can take, it is more likely to happen to children, especially between one and three years of age.

Babies always put everything in their mouths, large and small objects. For this reason, we need to get used to watching them and prevent them from doing so or being careful. However, our attention is sometimes not enough. 

Telling children that they don’t does not guarantee immediate obedience; therefore, it is advisable to be cautious, always vigilant and to know the basic first aid measures. Incidents of this type occur very frequently.

What is the danger of swallowing a foreign body?

Foreign bodies that can enter the baby’s body are not always large enough to cause asphyxiation, but even  swallowing a small object can have serious consequences. It is possible that a sharp object can cause injuries and, in any case, any foreign body can cause an infection or obstruction of the intestinal passages.

It is not always about objects that the child has taken from somewhere, most choking occurs with food, such as candy, nuts, grapes or popcorn. In addition, the little ones can choke by ingesting food that has not been processed correctly. 

Meat or vegetables cut into large pieces can obstruct the airways. For this reason, it is recommended to give children appropriate food and also to teach them to chew carefully.

What do I do if my child has swallowed an object?

Even if we pay close attention to them,  children’s curiosity and restlessness can outweigh our prevention. They are able to see everyday objects as a game or as fun, harmless to us. However, even when we know that some objects are dangerous, we cannot completely eliminate them.

In this sense, it is sometimes impossible to avoid accidents. In some cases, the child can swallow a few seeds or a small coin, which can pass through the digestive tract without any problem, until they are defecated. It is also likely that the child has swallowed something without realizing it; sometimes, in fact, no symptoms appear and everything happens without collateral damage.

However, it can happen  that the child coughs, is out of breath or makes some strange hissing ; in this case, we should know that it is possible that he has swallowed some object. Such an episode can be distressing, but we need to act now. The main thing is to keep calm; the specialists also share some tips:

• Stay calm and check if the child has swallowed one or more objects.

• It is not recommended to force the baby to eat if we notice breathing problems in him.

• There is little we can do at home, so if we have seen him swallow something or we suspect he has, we recommend taking him to the emergency room immediately.

• Based on the size of the object and the age of the child, extraction is recommended. In general, however, after passing the esophagus, it is easy for it to be eliminated in the stool.

• If the object is sharp, pointed or it is a battery, specialists almost always recommend extraction.

• After x-rays have revealed that the foreign body has reached the stomach and if the size indicates that it will easily pass through the digestive tract, vigilance is advised for its expulsion.

• If you are told to wait for him to expel it, it is recommended that the child eat vegetables, fruits and foods rich in fiber to help him eliminate the object in a period of four to seven days.

• It is advisable to observe the child very carefully, to pay attention to symptoms such as blood in the stool, abdominal pain, vomiting and fever. It is very important to watch out for these signals, as they may indicate that the object is still in the body and that it is causing collateral damage.