Coins, disc battery, battery cars, button batteries, magnets, nuts, buttons, sharp objects are dangerous toys! I am an ENT surgeon. Some of the commonest emergency problems I face are foreign objects in the ear nose or throat.
A foreign body is an object placed in the body where it’s not supposed to be. Children try to eat everything except food sometimes. But problems occur when they swallow coins, button batteries, beads, other play objects. These can get stuck in the esophagus or food pipe. They can also enter the airway.
Or pass to the stomach and pass away in their poop. That’s the better way. If it gets stuck, it will need to be removed. The main problem is timely detection. Button battery is dangerous. If inside the food pipe for more than 3 hours, it can burn the lining of the food pipe and can be life-threatening.
Delayed removal can lead to chemical burn in the food pipe (from the leaching button). Battery cars for kids and other battery toys playtime should be under parental supervision.
Other dangerous objects include: These are things kids aren’t allowed to play with ever !
- Safety pins,
- Earrings
- Magnet
- Medical foil
- Sharp objects.
How to suspect that child may have swallowed any of this?
- Difficulty breathing
- Drooling
- Crying
- Vomiting food
- Unable to eat
When should you worry and hurry?
- Vomiting
- Child turning blue gasping for breath
- Hoarse cry
- Rush to your nearest emergency. In the case of the last two, the object may be in the airway.
What can you do if you suspect a swallowed object and the child is not able to confirm?
Visit the nearest emergency. The doctor can get an X-ray done of the neck, chest, abdomen. This detects a radio-opaque foreign body like a coin magnet, any metallic object.
For things made of nonmetallic substances, a CT scan may be needed depending on the doctor’s advice.
A child may have a fishbone stuck in the throat. Your ENT doctor will be able to remove this if visible. Chicken or mutton bone need urgent intervention
Precautions parents should take:
- Watchful independence of the child.
- Always check his/her toys for loose pieces.
- Never give them small objects which they can insert in the mouth to play with. This is especially important during the time they are teething.
- Never give coins, magnets, safety pins to play with
- Avoid letting them play unsupervised.
- Visit your nearest emergency if in doubt. Precious minutes may be lost otherwise.
- Treatment may need intervention in the form of a pharyngoscopy or esophagoscopy depending on the location of the foreign body. Sometimes observation is done in case of a definitive diagnosis of the coin in the lower part of the esophagus. All decisions need to be taken on a case-to-case basis according to patient particulars and available resources.
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Disclaimer :
This information is meant for educational purposes and shouldn’t be taken as professional advice. Consult your doctor for personalized care. Read my full disclaimer here.
Do you have any tips to share?Write in the comments below.
Exactly! It is so important for us to keep the kids away from these objects. I have seen all these posts online and honestly it scares me! Thanks for sharing such informative post. I will pass it on to my friends and relatives. 😀
beforbeauty.com
Thanks Manavi .
This is a great list for parents of children in any age category. Checking your child’s play things is important and will keep your child safe.
Thanks.
Thank you for sharing! Recently my daughter shoved a bead up her nose. It was non ER and our family doctor was able to remove it quickly and safely. However, there where some panicky moments in there! Yikes, I can’t imagine if a kid swallowed a battery!
Thankfully your daughter was unharmed.Yes these are big worries. Thanks for reading.
Thanks for sharing. checking your child’s play area, constantly checking their toys for loose is soo important. I think as parents at times we tend to just plonk our kids in the play room and head to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. When we had our first child, I used check the safety of the play areas but she was never one for putting in her mouth. When my son came along, anything an everything went straight into his mouth. I now make sure the place is free from any small objects before they begin to play! oohh its scary o even think about it. you cannot be too careful!
Yes you are right.You can be never too careful. Thanks for reading
I don’t have children but have nieces and nephews. These are good tips.
Trying to keep a child from putting any and everything in his/her mouth is a 24 hour job, in my opinion. It’s amazing how quickly they can swallow – and chew on things (like active extension cords)!
My God !That’s a scary thought .Do take care .24 hours job indee
My God !That’s a scary thought .Do take care .24 hours job indeed.
I remember my lil brother years ago had accidentally swallowed a glass marble. He was made to drink lots of water, and eventually he poo the marble after 4hours.
It was funny, but we felt so nervous 🙂
Actually true Blair.It’s funny and scary at the same time.
Very informative and useful post. Very important for the parents to keep this things in mind.
It must be a scary thing for a parent and child alike when they swallow something that can not pass through and out the body. Great post
This is super important! A must-save for later when I have kids! Thanks for sharing your expertise!
I am not a parent yet, but these tips are a very good pre caution and reminder!
A must read post for every one . Once when we were kids my brother put cell of watch in her nose & noone at home plus it was sunday . Luckily we treat him
My 2 year toddler swallowed her top button but luckily it passed through the body and eliminated in the stool. Thanks God.
Yes, yes yes. Super important info. I can’t believe what people leave laying around.
Thanks Valerie.
These are great tips. Super important for me as a child care provider.
I am always around my children but still when my son was 2.5 years old, he swallowed camphor (karpur) lying around the temple at our home. Luckily he vomited till the time he was taken to the hospital. And I learned that raising children is not a game. You need to be alert every second.
Yes that’s very true Geethica. Glad ypur little boy was okay
Thank you for coming to the Blogger’s Pit Stop on Thursday!
Janice, Pit Stop Crew
Really great info honey! Its so important to keep children as safe as possible!
WOw! Great post1 So many things to look out for. I don’t have children yet but this is good to know!
Thanks for these tip. Parenthood is a tough jo and when you missed something (especially child’s security) you’ll never bring it back. So I understand parents who are sometimes overly protective.
yes true Blair
No tips to share but definitely good advice to share with new moms. Small items are often the most overlooked items.
This is so important… I actually remember my boyfriend told me about when he was a kid his brother almost choked to death on a penny. Super important to keep in mind, and to keep these items away from children.
xx Heather | stormywheather.com
Glad you found this helpful.Thanks for reading
This is really important I shared this. I’ve heard about the damage button batteries can do. My son once swallowed a button when he was tiny. Luckily he had no complications but I had to keep a close eye on him.
Thanks Lisa .Glad your son suffered no harm.Thanks for the share.
This is a very informative post. I agree that it’s very important to check your children’s toys to make sure that they are not loose.
Yes very important.Thanks for redaing.
Loved your post Amrita!! my little one just loved palying with the coins, i need to be evry careful and always watch out. Tehse kids just love playing and putting in mouth these dangerous stuff only .
Very important topic you touched today, Amrita.
My baby sister had a bone stuck in her throat and it was hurting for weeks — thankfully it wasn’t too serious.
Thanks.Glad your sister didn’t have too much trouble.
this sounds so scary and painful… for both the parents and the toddler. You must have seen some really weird cases.
Yes that’s true ????
Childproofing your home is a must! I just look around my apartment right now and can think of a million things a kid could get into trouble with. It’s a good thing we don’t have any babies yet. So much to think about first!
That’s a nice way if putting it .Child proofing indeed..Thanks for reading.
Yes, this is so true! I hear about how dangerous those button batteries are. When my kids were small I just always tried to keep a good eye on them and make sure all the batteries were secure in their toys.
Thanks Amber .Patents have to be aware .Then a lot of these can be avoided.
Great tips, it’s really useful! Sometimes it can be the simplest thing that parents wouldn’t think of that can cause the biggest accident. Hopefully this post will help parents think a little more. Nikki
http://www.twentysomethingmuddle.com
Yes a little information can go a long way.
This is such an informative post Amrita. And very important for parents to read it and know about it . I am sure lot of ppl will learn from this. Kids often make such mistakes and can be really dangerous.
Thanks Deepa .Glad you liked this
It has happened to my brother in his childhood and he was unable to breathe. So damn important to keep these things in mind
Thanks Mahek