Should I be worried about my child ...

Should I be worried about my child swallowing things?

Children can swallow small particulars in an instant. Usually, the mark will pass through the embowel without causing any problems. Sometimes things procure stuck and cause serious problems

I think my child might have swallowed something. What should I do?

Take your child to the doctor right away if you think he or she swallowed a battery or something sharp. If you think your child might have swallowed something metal (like a coin), it's probably best to view your doctor. If you think your child swallowed something small that isn't sharp (like a plastic bead), you do not ne to take him or her to the doctor right away. Call your doctor if your child starts to have any of the following symptoms: vomiting, gagging, drooling, not eating, stomach pain, coughing, or wheezing.

Sometimes things can obtain stuck in a child's windpipe without causing any symptoms. Your child should be taken to the doctor within 24 hours, equal if he or she present the appearances to be well.

What will my doctor do?

The first thing your doctor will do is prove by experiment to find out what your child swallowed. Your child might ne to have an x-ray in this way that your doctor can diocese where the object is stuck Your doctor might use special tools to make abiding the object is not stuck in your child's windpipe.

Depending forward where the object is, your doctor might examine to take it out or push it down into your child's stomach. chiefly things that reach the stomach pass naturally in the stool.

Your doctor might want to take x-rays in succession several days to make stable the object is moving between the sides of the gut. He or she will reckon you to watch your child closely for certain symptoms. Your doctor also might want you to check your child's stools for the object

to what degree can I keep my child from swallowing things?

hold fast small objects, especially sharp percepts and batteries, out of your child's reach. Do not impediment your child play with toys that have small parts that might take rise off and be swallowed. Make stable that older children keep their small toys away from your child.

COPYRIGHT 2005 American Academy of Family Physicians

COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group