Advertising gum promises solutions to many dental problems, from eliminating bad breath to eliminating tooth decay. Along with this, chewing gum can be harmful, especially when it comes to a small child.
Is chewing gum swallowed by a child dangerous?
Most of the parents are sure that the swallowed gum will necessarily stick to the walls of the child's stomach and remain there forever. They also allow the option of gluing the intestines, which will require surgical intervention. These views are fundamentally wrong. All chewing gum contains substances that are not life-threatening. Gum, getting into the stomach, under the influence of food enzymes and acids, undergoes a digestion process. The stomach, of course, will have to work hard on this, but after 6-10 hours the chewing gum will be completely digested. If this does not happen, then it will come out naturally in an unchanged form.
More danger is fraught with unswallowed gum. While playing with it, the baby may choke or choke, which will lead to suffocation.
What if a child swallows a large amount of chewing gum?
Chewing gum alone is usually not capable of causing serious consequences. However, if there is more than one plate in the baby's stomach, but several at once, this can adversely affect his health. The body can react in completely different ways.
Allergic reactions
A large amount of gum that is swallowed can cause allergic reactions, especially if the child is prone to them. In this case, it is advisable to find out the amount of chewing gum swallowed. In parallel with this, the baby should be given an anti-allergenic drug. If the child begins to cough badly or suffocate, you should immediately call an ambulance.
Keep in mind that if aspartame (E951) is added to the gum, in addition to the sweet taste, it is a source of phenylanine. This gum is contraindicated in children with phenylketonuria. It is dangerous not only to swallow it, but also to chew it for a child with this pathology.
Food poisoning
Too much chewing gum can lead to poisoning. This is because the chewing gum contains dyes and other chemical additives. This option is unlikely, but possible. In case of food poisoning, you need to try to induce vomiting in the baby in order to rid the body of the toxic poison. If it is not possible to induce vomiting, give the child activated charcoal. Also, provide your baby with plenty of fluids. In case of suspicion of poisoning, it will be useful to call an ambulance.
Constipation or diarrhea
Such reactions of the body after a large amount of swallowed gum are quite possible. Large chunks of this product can adversely affect the intestinal tract, causing prolonged constipation, flatulence and abdominal discomfort. To avoid this, parents need to try to induce vomiting in the child, give him plenty of water to drink. It is also possible to use a cleansing enema and include foods that soften the stool in the diet. The latter include prunes, dried apricots, yoghurts. If necessary, you should contact a pediatric gastroenterologist.
