What to do if your baby swallows a foreign object. A child swallowed a plastic part, what should I do? A child swallowed a plastic part: what to do?

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If a child swallows an object

Most often, children swallow buttons, coins, pins, bones, magnets, pieces of wood and glass, and batteries.

If the foreign body is not dangerous and does not have sharp edges, then nothing needs to be done. The child's condition will be monitored and the x-ray will be repeated after 24 hours. If the swallowed object remains in the same place, it must be pulled out. This is usually done during a gastroscopy.

If a child puts an object up his nose

Most often, ENT doctors have to remove foreign bodies from the noses of children under five years old. As a rule, a child pushes foreign objects into his nose out of curiosity or imitating other children, less often this happens by accident.

The diagnosis is beyond doubt if adults saw how it happened, or the child himself told about what happened. But sometimes foreign bodies are discovered accidentally during an examination or cleaning of the nose.

The following symptoms should alert you:

Most often, objects found in the nose are small in size. They can “fall” lower and cause suffocation.

However, there is no point in doing anything on your own. Trying to help can have fatal consequences.. You may accidentally push the object further into your airway.

The right decision is to immediately contact an ENT doctor. Foreign bodies are usually easily detected during examination of the nasal cavity. They are removed using suction or special tools. After this, the doctor may prescribe nasal drops and a course of antibiotics.

If a foreign body enters the respiratory tract

The most dangerous situation occurs when a foreign body enters the larynx, trachea or bronchus. This most often occurs in children under 3–5 years of age.

If a child is choking, he needs immediate help. The ambulance may not make it in time, the minutes are counting.

Parents should know how to act correctly in such a situation. One of the adults should immediately begin to provide first aid, the other should call an ambulance.

If the child less than a year , you need to place him face down on your knee, holding the baby’s neck with your palm like a collar, and hit the back between the shoulder blades with your palm five times.

If this does not help, you need to turn the child onto his back, place your two fingers on the center of his sternum and quickly press five times. These steps must be repeated until the foreign body falls out (the child starts coughing or screaming loudly) or until the doctor arrives.

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Older child you need to “hug”, standing from behind, place your fist on his stomach a little above the navel, place your other hand on the fist and make five quick intense pushes. Repeat these steps until the foreign body falls out or until a doctor arrives.

Even if the foreign body was successfully “pushed out,” the child needs to be shown to a doctor. It is necessary to make sure that the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract is not damaged and there are no complications.

a scarlet child tastes everything, this is his nature, but at the same time he can accidentally swallow something. What to do in such cases and what you need to know?

Symptoms that a child has swallowed a foreign object

The presence of a foreign object in the baby’s body is indicated by:
  • Vomiting or nausea.
  • Fainting states.
  • A sharp decrease in activity.
  • Changes in consistency, color or the appearance of various inclusions (blood, mucus) in the stool.
  • Increased body temperature. Indicators can range from 37 to 38 degrees.
  • Poor appetite or complete refusal to eat.
  • Frequent, unpleasant belching or excessive salivation.
  • Cutting or severe pain in the abdominal area.
Sometimes there are no symptoms at all indicating that the baby has swallowed something. This happens when the object is very small and safe in structure. It comes out without changes and various consequences.

What to do if a child swallows something?

If the object is small and has rounded edges, for example, a button or bead, then, as a rule, it comes out on its own within 2 or 3 days without any trouble. If the conditions described above occur, you must immediately seek help from a hospital. In this case, the time of day does not matter; the faster the foreign object is removed, the greater the chance of avoiding serious consequences.
Coins do not pose any threat to the baby’s body, but the size and quantity matter. If the money is more than 2 centimeters, it may not pass through all the organs of the food system and will get stuck somewhere. Well, the number of coins also affects the result. If there is more than one object inside, then congestion may occur, and as a result, an inflammatory process. If you are absolutely sure of the presence of such items and their quantity, do not wait until they come out, take action early.
Batteries occupy a special place among foreign objects swallowed by children. They are smooth and easy to swallow if not big size. They are dangerous because they are very toxic and react with the acidic environment of the stomach, which can result in organ burns digestive system. Therefore, the sooner you see a doctor, the better.

What not to do

To prevent your child from accidentally swallowing a foreign object, you should always:
  • Look after the baby 24 hours a day.
  • Buy toys without small parts and protruding surfaces.
  • Avoid playing with various mechanisms and objects not intended for this purpose, where small parts may fall off.
  • Hide dangerous substances and tools away.
  • Remember that batteries are not toys.
  • Pay more attention to the child - play, read, engage in various activities that are interesting to the baby.
Even if all precautions are taken, no one can guarantee that the baby will not accidentally bump into a small object, especially on the street. Therefore, if you discover that a child has eaten something wrong, you must immediately seek qualified help.

According to statistics, foreign objects quite often end up in the gastrointestinal tract of children. Most often this is:

  • plasticine;
  • plastic or iron ball;
  • bead;
  • paper;
  • money, namely coin;
  • button;
  • chain.

This usually occurs between the ages of 6 months and 3 years, when the child begins to crawl and drags all found objects into his mouth.

Sharp objects pose particular danger, namely:

  • pins and needles;
  • icons;
  • earrings;
  • a piece of glass.

They can get stuck in one of the parts of the gastrointestinal tract and puncture its walls. Heavy metal objects also pose a danger. They will not come out on their own and will remain in the intestines for a long time, causing bleeding and internal ruptures. In this case, only surgical medical intervention will help.

If the child was out of sight at the time of the incident, it will be quite difficult to identify a foreign object in the intestines. In addition, children often try to hide their offense for fear of punishment. If an object blocks the lumen of the esophagus, choking will immediately appear, saliva will begin to separate, hiccups may appear, as well as profuse vomiting. All food and liquid will return without being delayed.

Parents' actions

In most cases, the baby's behavior will directly depend on the size, shape and material from which the swallowed object is made. If you suspect that a foreign body is in the stomach or intestinal tract, you should immediately take your baby to the hospital or call ambulance. It is desirable that the clinic be multidisciplinary and work 24/7. It is recommended to write down the addresses of such institutions, as well as telephone numbers, in a notebook in advance. This way you won't lose valuable time at a critical moment.

Attention! If a child swallows a battery, contact a doctor immediately. Hydrochloric acid and other substances contained in it can lead to chemical burn mucous membrane, which can subsequently lead to dire consequences. Disc batteries are especially dangerous.

Before the ambulance arrives, parents should not panic, much less try to remove the item themselves. Inexperience and lack of knowledge will only harm the child and can traumatize him more severely.

In such a situation, under no circumstances should you feed the child or give him anything to drink. You can only wet your lips with water so that they do not dry out. Try to calm the baby down and prepare documents that may be needed at the hospital.

If the child begins to cough or choke, you need to tap the area between the shoulder blades with the edge of your palm. In this case, the blows should be directed from the bottom up, and the baby should be thrown over the knee so that part of his body is in a lowered state.

Actions of doctors in the hospital

Upon arrival at the emergency department, the child is examined by doctors and the necessary procedures are prescribed:

  • X-ray;
  • endoscopy;
  • ultrasound examination.

You should know that x-rays cannot detect plastic or wooden objects. Thus, if a child swallows such a ball, the device simply will not show it due to the texture of the material.

Based on the examination data, the doctor determines the presence of a foreign object and leaves the baby in the hospital until the little patient can remove the foreign body. Most often this takes no more than a few days. For this, a laxative is prescribed.

In situations where immediate removal of a foreign object from the gastrointestinal tract is required, an endoscopic method of therapy is used. This is possible if the object is located no lower than the duodenum, where the endoscope can actually reach. Removal of a foreign body is carried out using a special loop and other medical instruments.

If it is possible to move a foreign body using this device, the child is given a laxative to quickly remove it from the body. If the above measures do not work desired result, it is not possible to do without surgery. In this case, laparoscopic surgery is used, which avoids making large incisions and reduces risks possible complications and injuries. But the final type of surgical intervention is determined by the doctor, taking as a basis the test data and the location of the foreign object, as well as its size and shape.

Keep an eye on your baby

As mentioned above, Small child reaches out to everything. Therefore, parents need to protect him from possible dangers and limit access to various soft (cotton wool, feathers), round (balls from various materials), sharp (glass, needles, pins) and other dangerous objects. Naturally, it will not be possible to keep the child under constant control. Therefore, put them in a certain place where access for the child will be limited.

If the baby begins to cough and points to the chest area, and also complains of pain in this area, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Young parents try to rid their baby of a foreign object on their own. To do this, they turn the child over and begin to shake out the foreign body located in the esophagus. This is strictly forbidden, because... the consequences can be different and often you can:

  • injure the walls of the esophagus;
  • aggravate the situation and the object will get stuck in the intestines;
  • possible injury to the intestinal walls.

It is also not recommended to try to push an object through by consuming an excessive amount of liquid or, as is popular among people, using a traditional bread crust. There is no need to do an enema or give laxatives without a doctor's advice.

If you suspect that a foreign body has been swallowed, do not hesitate and immediately call an ambulance. And in situations where there is no confidence that the object will hit, there are several symptoms that should indicate the need to see a doctor. These include:

  • profuse vomiting, repeated with short breaks;
  • severe pain in the stomach area, which does not subside, but on the contrary has an increasing character;
  • there is blood in the stool.

Foreign matter can be inhaled

Foreign bodies can also enter the body through the respiratory system. In this case, the level of danger increases, because breathing may be blocked. Children often inhale items such as:

  • ball;
  • feathers;
  • candy;
  • plastic;
  • button;
  • penny;
  • cotton wool

The following symptoms indicate inhalation of a foreign body:

  • coughing attacks;
  • whistling and noise in the lungs;
  • breathing problems;
  • wheezing;
  • the face begins to turn blue;
  • the breath becomes longer.

If such symptoms appear, you must call an ambulance. It’s better for the team to respond to a false call than for you to risk the life of a child.

Try not to leave your child alone and prevent him from having access to dangerous objects. It is also necessary with special attention approach the purchase of toys for your child. They should not be easily disassembled into small parts and should be fully appropriate for the age of the baby. Be careful and then such problems simply will not arise with your baby.

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 damage.

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.

You should also 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 the child swallowed small piece 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.

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, if he lost consciousness, it was also likely that he had 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?

  1. 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.
  2. If the object has actually been swallowed and dangerous symptoms are present, call a doctor immediately.
  3. 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.
  4. 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 contact medical care serves:

  • 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 calm the child, and also prepare Required documents for possible hospitalization.

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

  1. Place the baby on your knee so that his head is down.
  2. 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.

We also read:

Ambulance Doctor Komarovsky: What to do if a child swallows something

Health School: If a child swallows something

Children are completely unpredictable and curious creatures. The toddler puts literally everything that comes to hand into his mouth. He tastes everything new and unknown. Unfortunately, such manifestations of curiosity are fraught with rather dangerous and unpleasant consequences. So, it often happens that foreign objects enter the baby’s body. Adults need to know what to do in such a situation. You must act decisively and quickly, avoiding panic and fuss, since the consequences can be the most dire.

How can you tell if your child has swallowed something? Many parents are concerned about this issue. There is nothing surprising about this. One year old baby I'm unlikely to tell my mom about this. Here are the signs that help you understand this.

  1. Heavy salivation. Even if the baby has not eaten anything, he salivates profusely. If you notice this, you need to check for other symptoms that your child has swallowed a foreign object.
  2. Baby's anxiety. He doesn't play, he's worried. It is clear that he is having difficulty swallowing.
  3. Cough, choking, nausea. Older children complain of dizziness.
  4. Increased heart rate, facial flushing, increased sweating. Sometimes the baby's temperature rises.

First aid measures

A child can swallow absolutely any available things, so parents should be careful

What to do in such a situation? First of all, don't panic. It won't help. The algorithm of actions is as follows.

  • Try to find out what object the baby swallowed. Your further actions depend on what he swallowed: a stapler clip, a nut, an elastic band from headphones, a bead, a piece of glass, a nail or a cross. The most dangerous are sharp objects, which can cause injury to the esophagus and even internal bleeding.
  • If you see that a child has swallowed an object, but the little one feels quite comfortable and the above symptoms do not appear, then you should wait until the swallowed object leaves the child’s body naturally. For example, if a child swallows a button or small coin, then, most likely, the object will come out along with the feces. Many mothers have already tested this. If the size of the swallowed object is small, then the likelihood of such a favorable outcome is greater. You will need to carefully monitor the contents of the pot. Once you see that the screw or bracket is in children's potty, consider yourself lucky. All you have to do is keep a close eye on your baby so that your child doesn’t swallow anything else.
  • If your child has swallowed something and clearly feels unwell, call an ambulance immediately. Only a doctor can help the baby. Try to clearly explain to the doctor what exactly happened. The health and life of the child depends on how quickly you act.
  • In the hospital, insist on a full examination of the baby (ultrasound, x-ray, endoscopy). In this case, the likelihood that a foreign body will be detected is much higher.

Thus, if a child has swallowed a foreign body, the situation requires prompt intervention. And try not to allow anything like this to happen in the future!

What items can a child swallow?

Let us now try to deal with situations when one or another specific object is swallowed.

Magnets, batteries

If a child swallows a magnet or battery, medical intervention is required. Under no circumstances should you wait until the battery oxidizes or the magnet settles in the intestines. Contact your doctor immediately. Using an endoscope will allow you to remove a dangerous iron object. The sooner it is possible to remove the object from the child’s body, the better for his health.

An even more dangerous situation is when several magnets are swallowed or, for example, a child swallows metal ball and a magnet. Being attracted to each other, objects create a serious obstacle to the food mass. All this can lead to painful sensations in the abdomen and even intestinal obstruction. That is why foreign objects must be removed urgently.

Sharp objects

First aid in a situation where a child has swallowed a foreign body

This is perhaps the most dangerous situation. Therefore, if you know that a child has swallowed glass, a pen pen, a metal button, a nail, a bolt, a stapler, a screw, or a shard of a broken glass or crystal vase, immediately take the child to the hospital. Of course, there are lucky cases when sharp objects come out on their own without causing damage. children's body not the slightest harm. However, there is no need to rely on happy accidents. Often such objects get stuck in the esophagus, leading to damage and life-threatening bleeding.

No less dangerous is the situation when a child swallows a needle. Needle perforation internal organs dangerous like that serious complication as peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum). Often the needle gets stuck in the throat. These are the worst-case scenarios. If you are far from a medical facility, give your baby semolina or oatmeal. It envelops the foreign body and reduces the risk of injury to internal organs.

A few words about what should not happen:

  • Never try to make your child vomit. A sharp object cannot be removed in this way, but it may well damage the insides.
  • Don't press on your stomach or hit your chest. All this can lead to serious injury to internal organs.
  • You should not give your baby a laxative.
  • Do not shake or turn the baby over.

Swallowed baby tooth

Most often children have to face this problem. preschool age when baby teeth fall out. Doctors say that when a child swallows a baby tooth, it will not cause harm. Baby teeth do not have sharp edges, and they are unlikely to harm the baby in any way. Watch your child and if he feels well, don't worry. A swallowed baby tooth will come out naturally during a bowel movement.

Chewing gum

Accidentally (or not so accidentally) swallowing gum is not dangerous to your health in most cases. The grandmothers' statements that this can lead to the sticking of internal organs have nothing to do with the truth. A piece of chewing gum, depending on its composition, can either be digested or come out in the form in which it was swallowed. All in the same natural way. Danger lurks, on the other hand. Chewing gums may contain allergens. However, allergy symptoms may occur while the gum is still in the mouth. If symptoms occur (including: skin rash, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain), consult a doctor. A specialist should prescribe antiallergic drugs.

List of items that a child can swallow

Plastic parts

These are the leaders among objects swallowed by children. If the plastic part is small and smooth, doctors advise monitoring the child. A few days later the object ends up in the children's potty. The same goes for buttons and beads. If the plastic part is large and (or) has sharp edges, then it can damage the child’s intestines. In this case, go to the hospital immediately.

Fruit pits

Children often swallow fruit pits. Most often, if the pit does not have sharp edges (cherries, sweet cherries), it leaves the body freely along with feces. Plum pits are more dangerous because their sharp edges can damage the intestines. The appearance of blood in the stool - dangerous symptom. Contact your doctor immediately!

Cross

Cross, given to the child after the sacrament of baptism, can cause injury. If a baby swallows a pectoral cross, the most dangerous situation is when the object gets into the respiratory tract. If there is no medical attention, the child may suffocate. If a cross enters the digestive system, then, most often, it comes out naturally. But things are not always so easy. The sharp edges of the body cross can cause injury to the esophagus, stomach and intestines. Crosses made of silver are especially dangerous. Long stay silver product in the body can cause disturbances in the functioning of internal organs and decreased immunity.

To provide assistance, the child must be sent to the hospital. Options for removing the cross are: endoscopy, laparoscopic or abdominal surgery.

If a child is coughing, before the ambulance arrives, it is useful to knock with your palm between his shoulder blades. Children under one year old are laid face down over the knee, lightly patting the back. If there are no signs of suffocation, such manipulations are unnecessary.

Silica gel

This is nothing more than silicon dioxide. silica gel is sold with shoes. The purpose of this substance is to absorb moisture. What to do if your baby has eaten enough of these balls? There is nothing terrible, since silica gel is chemically neutral. Let your little one drink more, and soon the balls will dissolve in the stomach without a trace, without causing any harm to the child. The problem here is different. The child puts anything into his mouth. Make sure that “whatever” is not lying around. Next time your child may come across a much less innocent substance.

Summary

We figured out what to do if a child swallows a foreign object. An equally serious question is how to prevent similar situations in the future. Children swallowing foreign objects is most often the result of parental carelessness. Therefore, as soon as the child begins to move around the apartment (first crawling, and then “on his own two feet”), remove objects from his field of vision that he can swallow.

Parts from headphones, a pectoral cross, coins, buttons, etc. - these items are not for children's play. Do not buy toys for a child under 3-4 years old with small parts, or ones that break easily. Make it a rule: the baby should always be in your field of vision. Keep your eyes on your child.

If you need to go to another room, take your baby with you or, as a last resort, carefully inspect the objects your baby is playing with. This way you will protect it from swallowing foreign objects.