Small children cannot sit in one place. They constantly study the world around them and like to pull foreign objects into their mouths. This is a natural process of development. But often there are unforeseen situations in which you need to act quickly and without delay. So it is worth knowing in advance what to do in a situation when a foreign object has entered the child's body.
general information
According to statistics, foreign objects often end up in the gastrointestinal tract of children. Most often these are:
- plasticine;
- plastic or iron ball;
- bead;
- paper;
- money, namely a coin;
- button;
- chain.
This usually occurs between the ages of 6 months and 3 years, when the child begins to crawl and drags all the objects found in his mouth.
Sharp objects are especially dangerous, namely:
- pins and needles;
- badges;
- earrings;
- a piece of glass.
They can get stuck in one part of the gastrointestinal tract and puncture its walls. Heavy metal objects are also dangerous. They will not come out on their own and will be located in the intestines for a long time, causing bleeding and internal ruptures. In this case, only surgical intervention will help.
If the child was out of sight at the time of the accident, it will be difficult to identify a foreign object in the intestine. In addition, children often try to hide their wrongdoing for fear of punishment. If the object blocks the lumen of the esophagus, then choking will instantly appear, saliva will begin to separate, hiccups may appear, as well as profuse vomiting. All food and liquid will come back without delay.
Parental 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 go with the baby to the hospital or call an ambulance. It is desirable that the clinic be multidisciplinary and operate 24/7. It is recommended that you write down the addresses of such institutions, as well as telephone numbers in a notebook in advance. This way you will not waste valuable time at a critical moment.
Attention! If a child swallows a battery, see a doctor immediately. Hydrochloric acid, and other substances contained in it, can lead to a chemical burn of the mucous membrane, which can subsequently lead to sad consequences. Disc batteries are especially dangerous.
Before the ambulance arrives, parents should not panic, much less try to retrieve the item on their own. Inexperience and lack of knowledge will only harm the child and can hurt him more.
In such a situation, in no case should the child be fed or given to drink. You can only wet your lips with water so that they do not dry out. Try to calm your baby down and prepare paperwork for the hospital.
If the child begins to cough or suffocate, you need to knock with the edge of your palm on the area between the shoulder blades. 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.
Doctors' actions in the hospital
Upon arrival at the admission office, the child is examined by doctors and the necessary procedures are prescribed:
- x-ray;
- endoscopy;
- ultrasound examination.
You should be aware that it is impossible to detect plastic or wooden objects with X-rays. 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 small patient can pop out 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 at least below the duodenum, where the endoscope can actually reach. Removal of a foreign body takes place 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 in order to quickly remove it from the body. If the above measures did not give the desired result, it is not possible to do without the operation. In this case, laparoscopic surgery is used, which allows not to make large incisions and reduces the risk of possible complications and injuries. But the final type of surgical intervention is determined by the doctor, taking as a basis the analysis data and the location of the foreign object, as well as its size and shape.
Watch your baby
As mentioned above, a small child is drawn to everything. Therefore, parents need to protect him from possible dangers and restrict access to various soft (cotton wool, feathers), round (balls of various materials), sharp (glass, needles, pins) and other dangerous objects. Naturally, keeping the child under constant control will not work. Therefore, remove them in a specific place where access will be limited for the child.
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.
Which is strictly prohibited.
Young parents are trying to rid the baby of a foreign object on their own. To do this, they turn the child over and begin to shake out the foreign body in the esophagus. It is categorically impossible to do this, 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 the object through the use of an excessive amount of liquid or, as is usual among the people, to use a traditional crust of bread. You do not need to give an enema or give laxatives without a doctor's recommendation.
If you suspect that a foreign body has nevertheless been swallowed, do not hesitate and immediately call an ambulance. And in situations where there is no certainty about hitting the object, there are several symptoms that should indicate the need to see a doctor. These include such as:
- profuse vomiting, repeated with short interruptions;
- severe pain in the stomach area, which does not subside, but on the contrary has an increasing character;
- there is an admixture of blood in the stool.
Foreign body can be inhaled
Foreign bodies can enter the body through the respiratory system. In this case, the level of danger increases, because breathing may be blocked. Often, children inhale objects such as:
- ball;
- feathers;
- candy;
- plastic;
- button;
- penny;
- cotton wool.
The following symptoms indicate the inhalation of a foreign body:
- coughing fits;
- whistling and noise in the lungs;
- breathing problems;
- wheezing;
- the face begins to turn blue;
- inhalation becomes longer.
If such symptoms appear, you need to call an ambulance. Better the crew will come to a false call than you risk the life of the child.
Try not to leave your child alone and keep his access to dangerous objects. You also need to pay special attention to the acquisition of toys for your child. They should not be easily disassembled into small parts and should fully correspond to the age of the baby. Be careful and then such problems with your baby simply will not arise.
