Toddlers are sometimes very inquisitive, and sometimes craving for new experiences can hurt them greatly. Small child sometimes even able to reach seemingly well-hidden things that can carry a potential danger. And as soon as parents gape and leave something interesting within reach, it will immediately be tidied up in the hands of a little fidget. And well, if only to the hands. But children can swallow various dangerous objects. And if a child swallowed a ball, then what to do, because it can be metal, hydrogel and glass ...

What to do if a child swallowed metal ball ?

Metal balls are, in fact, often swallowed by children. early age. And such items are considered one of the safest compared to the entire list of things that can get into the baby's mouth. They pose a danger only if they enter the respiratory tract, are especially large or magnetic.

So, if suddenly a swallowed object leads to the blocking of the airways, this can become a serious threat to the life of the baby. But then parents will not have time to scour the Internet in search of information about the rules for first aid. They will need to act very quickly to save the baby's life. Therefore, the first aid mechanism must be known by heart.

If a small object gets into the respiratory tract, the child begins to cough, loses the ability to breathe and speak. At the same time, the parent should sit down, put the baby with his tummy on his knee (preferably the left one) and support the neck and chest area with his left hand. The legs should be fixed under the arm. With your right hand, you should pat the child in the area between the shoulder blades. Also, without changing the position of the baby, you can put pressure on the root of his tongue or tickle the back of the throat to cause a cough and gag reflex. Doctors recommend that older children be laid on the floor and make several sharp blows in the area between the shoulder blades. Of course, you need to call ambulance.

In the event that a small ball enters the respiratory tract, it can slip through the glottis, which is fraught with the occurrence of other health problems (breathing disorders, inflammation or respiratory failure). It is necessary to inform the doctor about such a situation for endoscopic intervention to remove the foreign body.

If a metal ball gets inside the digestive system, it will most likely pass through the esophagus, stomach and intestines without hindrance, after which it will come out with feces. But even if the baby feels as usual, you should contact the pediatrician unscheduled and tell him about what happened. The same should be done if the child suddenly swallowed a large metal ball or magnetic ball.

When swallowing a foreign object, you should not, on your own initiative, give the baby laxatives or drugs that cause vomiting.

If a child swallows a hydrogel balloon?

Hydrogel balls are popular among gardeners and florists. They are inherently superabsorbents that can absorb a huge amount of water and water-soluble fertilizers, so they are actively used in growing all kinds of plants, including indoors. Curious kids may well be interested in hydrogel balls, especially since they often look bright and attractive. In addition, many parents use them for educational activities with children. But what is the risk of swallowing them?

There is a lot of conflicting information on the net about hydrogel balls and their safety for health. There is evidence that such balls may contain acrylamide, which is a dangerous neurotoxin and can cause oncological lesions. Other sources say that the hydrogel itself is not dangerous and is even used for weight loss, since when it enters the stomach it swells and causes an artificial feeling of satiety.

In any case, if a child has swallowed a hydrogel ball, you should consult a doctor and show him the package of such balls with a detailed composition. True, basically, with such a complaint, doctors advise only to drink plenty of fluids and give the child sorbents (for prevention). In addition, you should carefully observe the baby, tracking him physical state.

What to do if a child swallows a glass ball?

Toddlers can easily swallow small glass marbles while playing with them. But sometimes children manage to eat even fairly large balls, about two and a half centimeters in diameter. It is clear that such an event will bring any parent out of balance. But what to do in such a case?

If the ball got into the digestive system, and not into the respiratory tract, you should not relax at all. It is advisable to go to the hospital the next day and consult a doctor. Your doctor may recommend taking an x-ray to see the location of the foreign body. Also, usually experts advise feeding the child with mucous food in order to facilitate the promotion of the ball and its removal from the body. Parents need to carefully monitor the baby's feces to make sure that the ball comes out. If this does not happen within three to four days, you need to go to the hospital for an x-ray. Perhaps the foreign body will have to be removed by endoscopic methods.

Do not give the baby small objects that he willingly puts in his mouth. If the ball not only hit the baby, but he also managed to swallow it, do not panic. The smooth surface does not injure the baby's gastrointestinal tract, and the item will come out on its own in a few days.

To prevent the child from swallowing the balloon, give him toys of large sizes.

When small details disappear, they are not always inside the child. Count the balls, perhaps the baby fantasizes about this topic. The baby's intestines are 12m, so don't expect a balloon to appear the next day. It may appear in a week.

Metal balls are the components of a magnetic designer. If your child is still small, do not buy such toys for him or play alone.

Glass and plastic balls in the abdomen

Such balls are also not dangerous, but you will not see them on the x-ray, so you should not torment the child. The main rule is not to worry if the child does not complain of abdominal pain.

What to do to get the ball out

When the child has eaten the ball, monitor his well-being. If he does not experience pain and discomfort and eats well, there is no reason to panic. Follow these guidelines:

• Talk to your pediatrician and explain the situation to him.
• Do not try to “drive out” a foreign object on your own with laxatives or enemas, this will not help. It is forbidden to make the baby vomit.
• Feed your child porridge, give him bread. Solid food will gradually push the ball towards the exit.
• Check each baby's stool. Disassemble lumps by wearing rubber gloves. Pay attention to the consistency and color of the feces. If blood appears, immediately take the child to the doctor.

It is not worth taking the child for an x-ray if he feels well. This procedure is mandatory if the baby becomes ill. In this case, surgical intervention is possible.

Learning the world, children often swallow something completely unsuitable for food, put foreign objects in their mouths and ears. One of the problems that is often discussed on the forums of young parents is what to do if the child swallowed the balloon? Moreover, the balls in the descriptions are very diverse: metal, glass, hydrogel, plastic, magnetic, Orbiz and many more options.

The most dangerous of these are magnetic and hydrogel. Questions emergency care when swallowing a magnet, we devoted a separate one, and we will consider in detail the question “what to do if a child swallows a hydrogel ball” within the framework of this material.

If a child swallowed a ball of iron, plastic or even glass, then first of all you need to calm down and not panic. A situation similar to yours, at least once, but met with almost all parents, and they safely resolved it somewhere in 3-4 days. It is after such a time that the foreign object should come out on its own along with the feces.

In this situation, first aid depends on the size of the rounded object. If the baby swallowed a small ball (less than 1 cm in diameter) and does not show signs of anxiety, then emergency hospitalization may not be carried out. You just need to carefully monitor the well-being of the child and consult a doctor if vomiting, constipation, complaints of discomfort in the abdomen begin. The stool during this period must also be checked so as not to miss the moment when the ball leaves the body naturally.

Do not give your baby vomiting drugs or laxatives. Taking medication can reverse the process and only aggravate the situation. You need to eat more solid, hard food, which will allow you to push a foreign object through the intestines. Cereals and crackers are well suited for these purposes.

When is it necessary to see a doctor?

It is imperative to consult a doctor if the item does not come out naturally within four days. Also, the help of a specialist is required without fail if the size of the ball exceeds 1 cm in diameter. In the hospital, the child will have an x-ray and the doctor will be able to tell exactly where the foreign body is and give recommendations on further actions.

Even taking into account the large size of the foreign body, extraction can occur without surgical intervention. For example, an iron ball can be removed from the stomach using FGS.

Often there are cases when parents are tormented by the question - “what to do if the child swallowed the ball”, but in fact no one swallowed anything. Babies can't speak, and parents start thinking things out for them that didn't actually happen. Older children, on the contrary, are very fond of fantasizing. In order not to panic for four days, you can immediately take an x-ray and get reliable information on the situation. In this case, it will be possible to save not only children's health, but also the health of parents.

Hydrogel ball Orbis

If a child has swallowed a hydrogel ball, then you should immediately consult a doctor. Hydrogels expand in size upon contact with water. It will also increase in the stomach with the intestines, which can lead to intestinal obstruction. It is important to know that the hydrogel ball used for flowers or the Orbis toy (arbiz ball) is almost impossible to determine on an x-ray. To avoid severe consequences should be under the constant supervision of a specialist.

Regarding the toxicity of the hydrogel, opinions are contradictory, on the one hand, acrylamide, which is a neurotoxin, is included in the composition, on the other hand, toxicologists say that there can be no harmful effects from the substance.

If you immediately discovered that the baby swallowed the hydrogel ball, then you can induce vomiting and get rid of the foreign object yourself. If you do not know the number of swallowed bodies, then you should consult a doctor in any case. To induce vomiting, give the child water, if he refuses to drink water, then juice, fruit drink, a mixture, any liquid that the baby agrees to consume in large quantities. Then press on the root of the tongue, the contents of the stomach should come out. Repeat the procedure a second time and check that foreign objects were present in the vomit. If you know exactly how many of them were swallowed and the number corresponds to the number that came out during vomiting, then you can not go to the doctor.

Balloon

Cases of swallowing part of a balloon are also not uncommon. Children manage to find and put things in their mouths much faster than we adults can find and throw them away. The rubber it's made from balloon, dangerous primarily for the respiratory tract, tk. can block them and the child will begin to suffocate. In this case, it is necessary to open the jaws as quickly as possible and try to pull the rubber out with your fingers. If the gum has already been swallowed, it should come out on its own naturally.

Most often there are cases when the child ate small piece burst balloon, and not the whole thing. The small size should not adversely affect the health of the child.

Shoe box balls

If a child has swallowed balls from a shoebox, then first of all you need to give him plenty to drink. Transparent spheres are silicon dioxide or silica gel, their main purpose is to absorb moisture. When they absorb water, they become brittle and break.

Given the variety of manufacturers and the inability to accurately determine the composition of silica gel, it would not be superfluous to give the child any of the medical preparations with adsorbing properties. For example, it can be enterosgel or polysorb.

Every child is inquisitive by nature, so cases of the appearance of foreign objects in the nose or children's stomach are not at all uncommon. IN modern society comes to the aid of parents a large number of advisers from the Internet, however, very often the recommendations are contradictory and come from people far from medicine. Don't risk your child's health! In any situation that causes you even a bit of doubt, contact the experts.

Despite constant warnings, the danger of swallowing neodymium magnets by young children is often underestimated by both parents and doctors. These innocent-looking magnets are very powerful, not without reason they are also called “supermagnets”.

Over the past year, a huge number of cases of contacting pediatricians and emergency departments regarding the ingestion of such magnets have been recorded, however, even among primary care physicians, there is extremely little alertness towards this type of injury.

The child swallowed a magnet, what should I do?

For a pediatric gastroenterologist, foreign bodies in the gastrointestinal tract are one of the most common reasons for an emergency call. When the doctor hears the phrase “the child swallowed something” from the parents, we should try to establish the location of the foreign body (esophagus, stomach, intestines) and its physical properties(round, sharp, metal, plastic, etc.), and then decide whether medical intervention is required, which one and how urgently.

Typically, 80-90% of swallowed foreign bodies (such as coins) pass spontaneously in the feces, but 10-20% require endoscopic removal, and about 1% even require surgical intervention. Benefit / risk assessment of medical intervention in such cases is based on the likelihood of complications from a foreign body.

All of the above referred only to foreign bodies that do not have magnetic attraction. When it comes to magnets, the rules change.

magnetic attraction

In the last 10 years, there has been a sharp increase in the number of cases of swallowing magnetic foreign bodies; According to US statistics, the frequency of calls to emergency medical services during this period increased by 8.5 times, and continues to increase by an average of 75% annually.

In most cases, magnets are swallowed by children under 5 years of age. However, in the last few years there has been an increase in the incidence of swallowing magnetic beads in older children. These unfortunate changes are due to the increase in the production of toys based on magnetic balls, such as Neocube or "toy piercing", very popular among schoolchildren. In such situations, endoscopic removal of the magnet was required in 10% -12% of the applied children, and 4% -5% required abdominal surgery.

These are not ordinary magnets.

Modern neodymium magnetic toys - usually consist of 100-200 small magnetic balls with a very powerful magnetic field. At first glance, neodymium magnets are completely harmless: they are smooth, round - that is, they should not damage the wall of the gastrointestinal tract when swallowed, and can easily come back with feces.

However, it should be borne in mind that neodymium magnets are much stronger than ordinary ones, and are able to interact with other metal bodies at a very large distance. Therefore, if one swallowed magnetic ball really easily comes out on its own, then 2 or more balls will certainly interact with each other, attracting and squeezing various sections of the gastrointestinal tract together, and causing catastrophic consequences. Most often, sticking together of magnetic balls causes an ulcer of the gastrointestinal tract wall with perforation.

The insidiousness of the situation is that the child who swallowed magnetic balls, has no symptoms until the moment of perforation and the onset of peritonitis. The slightest delay in diagnosis and medical intervention can lead to sepsis and death of the child.

Clinical case

A typical example of the described situation: a healthy boy of three years was brought to the emergency room, his mother is concerned that "he swallowed some round magnets." The only symptom identified during the examination of the child was hypersalivation. On a plain radiograph abdominal cavity the doctors saw that the magnets were located in the epigastric region and the right lower quadrant of the abdomen. An endoscopic examination of the proximal jejunum was performed, hoping to find a magnet there, but during the preparation of the child for the procedure, the magnet moved beyond the reach of the endoscope. The child was allowed to go home, the mother was given recommendations to inspect the child's feces, look for and count magnets until they all come out. In addition, the child was prescribed a course of laxatives.

For two days, despite diarrhea from laxatives, not a single magnet was found in the stool. In addition, the child developed fever, tachycardia, and abdominal pain. A repeat X-ray showed that the magnets were connected in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen. During laparoscopy, it turned out that 3 neodymium magnets, "glued" to each other, caused perforation of two loops of the ileum. The magnets were removed and the perforations were sutured.

Propaganda against magnetic toys

One of the first people to speak loudly about this problem was Dr. Adam Noel. He described the case of a two-year-old child who swallowed several neodymium magnetic beads. These balls "soldered" several intestinal loops, which led to necrosis, peritonitis and excision of several sections of the intestine, and ended with the formation of the "short intestine syndrome" in the child.

Dr. Noel and his colleagues teamed up and started collecting information on this issue, interviewing physicians, members of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN). Respondents reported to them about 123 clinical cases that occurred between 2008 and 2012. Nearly 80% of the described patients required endoscopic or abdominal surgery, or both. Surgical removal of the magnet was required in 31% of patients; 43% of patients required additional surgery, including closure of intestinal perforations in 60%, and bowel resection in 15%. Finally, 9% of patients required long-term restorative treatment of developed complications, such as bowel rehabilitation.

This work resulted in the publication of the NASPGHAN clinical guidelines, which emphasized the need for aggressive bans on these toys from children, as well as educational and advocacy programs. Together with other medical communities, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Association of Pediatric Surgeons, they have developed a comprehensive algorithm for the diagnosis and treatment of children with neodymium magnetic foreign bodies in the gastrointestinal tract, which regulates the timing, type and scope of medical interventions depending on the number of swallowed magnets, their location and prescription of swallowing.

They have also embarked on extensive training for pediatric gastroenterologists and other physicians working with children on how to treat this new danger.

NASPGHAN is also committed to educating the non-medical community through its website and by working with the media. They keep collecting Additional information about clinical cases, prevalence and frequency of complications from swallowing magnets and ask the Government to completely ban the sale of such toys in the United States.

Responsiveness

Since the end of 2012, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has banned the sale of certain types of children's toys based on super magnets. Most magnetic toys were banned for use by children under 14 years of age. In 2013, CPSC announced that several major retailers were taking part in a campaign to collect sets of neodymium magnets from the public.

Conclusion

Swallowing neodymium magnets is a preventable cause of illness in our children, requiring costly medical interventions. Clinicians should be well versed in the symptoms and complications resulting from ingestion of magnets. The main goal of treating such cases is to minimize the time between ingestion, diagnosis and medical intervention. The main goal of preventing this problem is to inform parents, educators and even doctors about this danger so that magnets are as far away from children as possible.

Prevention of ingestion of magnetic beads is much easier than diagnosis and treatment, which is why the main efforts should be directed to raising the level of awareness of parents and medical workers about this formidable and rapidly growing problem.

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A child of any age can accidentally or intentionally swallow a foreign object - a magnet, silica gel, metal, hydrogel or glass ball. How dangerous is it? What first aid should be given to the victim? What to do if the foreign object does not come out on its own? You will read about this and much more in our article.

Necessary actions to help children

The first aid procedure depends on the specific type of foreign object. In some cases, special events are not carried out at all, and the product comes out on its own with feces. Sometimes an immediate visit to the doctor is required, especially if time has been missed or the child is actively manifesting pathological symptoms.

Child swallowed an iron ball

Any metal objects, including spherical ones, are potentially dangerous foreign bodies if they are accidentally or intentionally swallowed by a child. What to do if a child swallows a metal ball:

• Assess the degree of danger and take emergency action. It should be accurately identified that a small patient orally consumed just such an object. If there are clear signs of suffocation, for example, due to an object getting stuck in the throat, then an ambulance team should be called to the scene, try to pull out the product on their own, if it is clearly observed with the child’s mouth open;
• Expect. In a situation where there are no signs of suffocation and breathing problems, and the metal ball was small (less than 1 cm in diameter), you should wait for its natural removal from the body with feces, without fail informing the local pediatrician about the situation.

The average time for the natural release of such a foreign object is 3-4 days. It is not recommended to give emetics or laxatives to a small patient.

It is enough to introduce hard fibrous food into the diet, which improves the passage of the object through the intestines. If the child has symptoms of dyspeptic disorders, pain syndrome, then it is necessary to promptly go to the hospital.

The kid ate a glass ball

If a child swallowed a glass ball, and such an object successfully passed through the esophagus and stomach, then it does not pose a direct threat to the life and health of the baby, since it does not contain sharp edges. Like a metal counterpart, a glass ball comes out naturally after 3-4 days. The algorithm of first aid actions is identical.

Child swallowed a magnet

If the magnet was not spherical in the form of a ball, then you must immediately contact the hospital. The child will be placed in the general department, and the process of the exit of a foreign object will be constantly monitored.

Exists high risk fixing a non-spherical magnet in the throat.

If there are signs of suffocation or breathing problems, then you should immediately call an ambulance and try to pull the foreign body through the mouth, if it is clearly visible.

Child swallowed a hydrogel balloon

Hydrogel balls for children or orbis are popular modern toys, often purchased, including for young children. After entering the aquatic environment, small objects significantly increase their size per day, growing in diameter. If it is problematic to swallow a large product that has already completely absorbed water, then the hydrogel ball in its original state easily penetrates into the stomach orally.

The main danger of the orbis is its significant increase in size after contact with liquids.

Immediately after swallowing, it does not bring any inconvenience, but after 10-12 hours it can occupy a significant part of the stomach or intestines. Possible first aid if the child ate the hydrogel:

• Accurate identification of the problem. It is necessary to make sure that the child has swallowed the hydrogel balls;
• Invocation of artificial vomiting. Chad is given 1.5 liters to drink clean water in one sitting, after which they cause artificial vomiting in him by pressing on the root of the tongue. The procedure is repeated, if necessary, several times until the exit of the foreign object from the stomach.

The indicated measures are relevant in the first 2-3 hours after using the product. If the problem was not identified in time, then you should immediately call an ambulance team at home, which will take the little patient to the hospital. Otherwise, the orbis increases in size, may clog the gastrointestinal tract, or partially rupture, releasing the internal contents into the stomach.

Baby ate silica gel

It is not uncommon for small children to tear open packages of balls used in shoes - these components absorb moisture and are made up of silicon dioxide and silica gel. If a child has eaten shoe balls, then there is no direct threat to life, however, these items can cause severe dyspeptic disorders and allergic reaction. First aid if the child ate silica gel:

• Invocation of artificial vomiting. The child consumes 1.5 liters of clean water at a time, after which he is assisted in inducing artificial vomiting. If necessary, the event is repeated several more times to sleep until clean wash water appears;
• Absorbents. After washing, a small patient must be given available absorbents - activated charcoal, polysorb, enterosgel, another substance in the amount as for classic food poisoning (according to the instructions);
• Status monitoring. Monitor the condition of the child. If no negative symptoms appear, then immediate medical attention is not advisable. Otherwise, an ambulance should be called.

What will happen if you eat silica gel, see the video:

Symptoms of swallowing balls from various inorganic compounds

Symptoms that a child has swallowed a foreign object are not specific and depends on a number of factors:

• The size of the foreign object;
• The age of the child;
• The number of items;
• Hit areas.

In most cases, there are no signs of swallowing at all. Sometimes a child is diagnosed with suffocation, blue skin, coughing- this happens in a situation where a foreign object did not get into the stomach, but got stuck in the throat or bronchi.

In the medium term, the designated objects can provoke the following manifestations:

• constipation or diarrhea;
• Pain in the stomach, intestines;
• Nausea and vomiting;
• Other dyspeptic disorders.

Features of magnet swallowing

Swallowing a magnet has its own specific features:

• Sufficiently large mass of the object. In some cases, it is clearly felt by the child inside the stomach;
• Shape Danger. If the magnet is not strictly spherical, but has edges, bulges, and other design features, then this significantly increases the risk of damage to the throat, esophagus and stomach;
• exit specifics. If the product is not visible visually from the oral cavity, then it is impossible to get it on your own. It will either come out on its own in a natural way with feces, or you will have to get the object using a manipulation endoscope, and in some cases, surgical intervention.

• Do not panic and assess the risks. If the spherical magnet was no more than 1 centimeter in diameter, with a high degree of probability after 3-4 days it will come out on its own with feces;
• Contact an ambulance only in the presence of negative symptoms. We are talking primarily about the stuck object in the throat with the development of an asthma attack;
• Do not try to remove the magnet yourself. Antiemetics, pressure on chest or stomach, other activities are strictly prohibited. The exception is when it is clearly visible from the child's mouth and is accessible to capture with tweezers.

Features that the baby ate hydrogel

Within 1 hour after the child swallowed the hydrogel, no external symptoms pathological process not observed - a small ball is quite elastic and soft, so it almost never immediately gets stuck in the throat and esophagus.

The main problems may begin later, when the product gradually absorbs water and expands. Prerequisites are being formed for it to occupy a large area of ​​​​the stomach or intestines, which can clog individual parts of the gastrointestinal tract.

In addition, gastric juice potentially dissolves a thin surface layer of the hydrogel ball, as a result of which its contents enter the stomach and are guaranteed to form complex dyspeptic disorders, manifested:

• constipation;
• pain syndrome;
• diarrhea;
• Nausea and vomiting.

If the first pre-medical aid was provided on time, home gastric lavage was performed, then with a high degree of probability the foreign object will be removed and the child's health will no longer be threatened.

However, if time is lost, then it is worth contacting a specialized medical institution as soon as possible or calling an ambulance team at home that will take a small patient to a hospital.

Danger of swallowing metal, plastic and glass beads

In the vast majority of cases, swallowing metal, plastic or glass ball does not carry serious consequences for the child's body. There are two exceptions:

• Large product sizes. If a foreign object exceeds 1 centimeter in diameter, then after entering the stomach, intestines, it may not come out naturally with feces, but remain in one of the sections of the gastrointestinal tract, which requires mandatory removal of the ball using an endoscope or surgery, depending from the severity of the pathological process;
• Inhalation. Causes an immediate reaction of choking, severe non-stop coughing, other life-threatening consequences that require immediate first aid and hospitalization of the child in the hospital.

What to do if the foreign object did not come out on its own

As modern clinical practice, swallowed spherical objects (except for orbis), in the absence of complications, come out naturally, with feces 3-4 days after the incident. With absence positive result should take the following steps:

• Make sure that the foreign object really remains in the gastrointestinal tract. Starting from the 2nd day after the incident, in the absence of pathological symptoms, the child should be under regular control during his trips to the toilet - this will allow you to check that the ball really came out during defecation, and did not remain in the stomach, intestines, esophagus;
• Pass instrumental diagnostics. The main methods for detecting problems of this kind are x-rays, ultrasound examination, endoscopy. MRI is forbidden to use in cases where a metal object, a magnet has entered the gastrointestinal tract;
• Seek qualified medical assistance. A gastroenterologist, surgeon or other specialized specialist will help remove foreign objects from the child's body.

Preventive measures

There is no specific prevention aimed at preventing the ingestion of a plastic, glass, magnetic, hydrogel ball. The main countermechanism is to control the child while playing with potentially dangerous objects, especially if they can be easily consumed orally.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible for parents to constantly be near their children in the line of sight and watch their games. In this context, it is preferable to limit the use of small rounded objects by the child., or allow them to play only in the presence of adults, especially if the child is under 5 years old and does not fully understand the danger of swallowing foreign objects.