Unfortunately, no parent can provide constant control over the baby. Therefore, children always find different adventures for themselves, which can sometimes be harmful to their health. So, even if the mother constantly follows the child’s heels, he can literally swallow something dangerous in just one second. And it’s especially scary if there is a suspicion that this dangerous object was glass. So, how can you determine whether a child has swallowed glass or not, what symptoms will tell you? And, of course, let’s clarify what to do in such a situation?

Glass is a dangerous foreign object (see Foreign body article on Wikipedia) that can cause quite serious injuries. Swallowing glass can cause injury to the mouth, esophagus, and other parts of the digestive tract.

How to suspect glass ingestion? Symptoms

Doctors say that swallowed glass can cause various symptoms. Possible manifestations include refusal to eat and complaints of pain in the chest area. kids early age They can be capricious and cry, sometimes children grab their throats or knock on themselves. Upon careful examination of the oral cavity, parents in some cases may consider violations of the integrity of the mucous membranes, in other words, wounds. Swallowing glass may cause excessive salivation and severe persistent hiccups. Sometimes children begin to feel sick, and vomiting may occur, in which blood clots can be seen. You can also see blood in the baby’s stool (coagulated - black or bright - red).

It is worth noting that the listed symptoms cannot be considered unambiguous. All of them can be observed in many pathological conditions. But together with it, they can lead parents to think about a swallowed foreign object - glass.

What to do if a child swallows glass?

If parents find glass particles in the baby’s mouth, they must be removed immediately. If you have the slightest suspicion that such a dangerous object has been swallowed, you should call a doctor as soon as possible (call ambulance) or quickly get to the emergency room of the nearest hospital. It’s definitely not worth scaring and scolding your baby. You should also not give him water or food before consulting your doctor, as swallowing anything else could cause the glass to move through the digestive tract.

If the swallowed fragment is small in size, it may well come out on its own without harming the child. At the same time, it is important to feed the baby all the time with slimy porridges, boiled vegetables and other products recommended by the doctor. It is also worth analyzing the composition of the child’s stool over three days.

If a child swallows a glass shard, mothers and fathers should calm down and not panic. Parts of glass visible in the oral cavity must be carefully pulled out. You also need to apply for emergency care to the doctors.

Many mothers don’t know what to do if a child swallows a foreign body. Glass is a hazardous material and if it gets inside child's body, serious consequences may occur. The way out of this situation will depend on the size and shape of the glass. If a child swallows a small piece of glass, it can pass out of the body naturally. But even a small fragment can damage the esophagus, stomach, and intestines. If glass big size, it will remain in the stomach for many years, which will negatively affect the health of the baby. Therefore it is possible surgical intervention to remove a foreign object.

If a child swallows glass: symptoms

If your baby swallows glass before your eyes, but you didn’t have time to do anything, you need to give him first aid. You should carefully examine the child’s oral cavity and make sure there are no fragments. If pieces of glass are clearly visible and are in an accessible area, they must be carefully removed. Wash your hands first. You should not try to reach fragments located further than the palatoglossus arch, otherwise there is a possibility of worsening the situation.

But sometimes situations arise when a child may swallow glass not in front of his parents, but in this case certain symptoms will help determine the dangerous condition of the child.

• Increased salivation;
• Persistent hiccups;
• Nausea and vomiting;
• Refusal to eat food;
• The baby complains of pain in the chest area;
• Wounds are possible in the oral cavity;
• Traces of blood are found in the stool.

What to do if a child swallows glass?

What to do if a child swallows glass? In addition to the fact that it is necessary to remove the existing fragments from the baby’s mouth, you need to call an ambulance or take the child yourself to the nearest hospital. Do not scold or reprimand the baby: he is already very scared, and the child may also feel pain inside. During a medical examination, you should inform the specialist of the size of the fragment and the time of the incident. Depending on the size of the glass, the necessary measures will be taken. Experts disagree: is it worth inducing a gag reflex in a child who has swallowed a piece of glass? Some doctors believe that this is necessary. To do this, press on the root of the tongue. The fragment will come out with saliva and vomit, but the esophagus will not be damaged. Other experts believe that large fragments located inside during vomiting can damage the walls of the stomach or esophagus. Therefore, you should not conduct experiments with an injured baby, but rather wait for qualified specialists. You should also remember that after two to three hours the glass will end up in the intestines. And what should you do if your baby swallows a large shard of glass? In this case, parents cannot do anything to remove it. You should not give your baby a laxative or use an enema - this may worsen the situation. Also, do not give your baby fruits or foods that have a laxative effect. You can feed your child porridge and boiled hard vegetables. Parents need to monitor their baby's stool for three days.

If your little one swallows glass, the most important thing is to remain cool and not panic. This situation can happen to anyone, so it is important to act quickly and accurately. Firstly, you can carefully remove the visible part of the object yourself, and secondly, you need to call an ambulance. You should not leave things to chance, as a fragment that gets inside the body can cause serious consequences. Small pieces can be expelled naturally, but even they can affect internal organs. If the piece is large, it can get stuck in the stomach for a long time - in this case, surgical intervention is necessary.

Little explorers are always inquisitive, and The best way study the surrounding objects - taste them. Very often, the object of research becomes fragments from objects broken by a child. In this case, you need to know the risks of swallowing glass. The outcome of the situation depends on the parameters, shape and surface of the element. The child may eat glass, which can become lodged in the esophagus and damage it. If the object is smooth in shape (for example, balls), consider yourself very lucky. The danger is reduced to the usual sticking in the stomach, and damage can be eliminated.

But there is no need to worry as there are several ways through which you can get rid of a stuck object. The most important thing is to act quickly, especially if the situation happened before your eyes.

How to understand that this happened

If children accidentally eat glass in front of you, you need to provide first aid. First, carefully examine your mouth for broken pieces. If they are available and within reach, carefully remove them after washing your hands beforehand.

Important! Do not touch elements that are located outside the palatoglossal arch, so as not to harm the baby.

But how can you find out about what happened if your child ate a splinter without your presence? The following signs may indicate this: high salivation, continuous hiccups, nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite, pain in the chest, sores in the mouth, blood during stool. If you notice such signs, you should immediately consult a doctor, since you do not know how long the object has been in the body.

What to do?

As already mentioned, the first aid that parents can provide is to examine the oral cavity and remove accessible elements. Another option is to press on the root of the tongue to induce vomiting. Thus, the object will come out easily and may not have time to damage the esophagus.

Two hours after being in the body, the object enters the intestines. In this case, the removal of swallowed glass must be entrusted to a specialist. When calling a doctor, tell him the size of the element and the time of the incident, if you witnessed what happened. You will not be sent for an x-ray, since the fragments do not contrast in x-rays.

While this item is in the esophagus, the child needs to follow a diet - porridge and boiled vegetables. In this case, it is necessary to carefully monitor his stool. Under no circumstances should you give laxatives or do an enema. If parents are attentive to their baby and did everything correctly, the item may come out naturally in a short period of time.

Important! Elements with smooth surface. If they do not leave the esophagus, surgery may be required. You can discuss this with your doctor.

In order to avoid such a situation, you must adhere to basic safety rules:

• Always keep an eye on your child. It is very difficult to keep track of little fidgets. Their brain switches from one information to another in a matter of seconds. Therefore, before you even have time to blink an eye, your child will change his occupation - a minute ago he was watching TV, and now he is disassembling a construction set. It is in such moments of parental inattention that accidents occur.
• If you do not have the opportunity to supervise the baby or need to be away (washing, cooking or cleaning), put the baby in the playpen. She will be safe there. If the little tracker has already grown up and moves independently, the only way to keep him safe is to remove all elements that threaten his health from visibility. Since this is difficult, it is best to keep an eye on the little tomboy.

If you still didn’t keep an eye on the little one and he “feasted” on the glass, don’t be upset and reproach yourself. Such situations are not uncommon. Just be more attentive to your child from now on.

Little explorers do not sit still for a minute and try to explore the world around them using all their senses. They often find foreign bodies in their mouths such as coins, batteries, glass, chewing gum, magnets, plum or cherry pits, plastic parts, and others. small items. In such a situation, it is extremely important for an adult not to get confused, to sensibly assess the situation and provide first aid to the child. In some cases, surgical intervention is not possible.

Why do babies swallow foreign objects?

According to statistics, every year millions of foreign objects enter the gastrointestinal tract of children. And this happens mainly as a result of the desire of little travelers to explore the world around them. Kids are very inquisitive and want to try and taste everything that comes into their hands. Sometimes children may swallow foreign objects while eating or playing.

Therefore, it is extremely important for adults to put medicines, needles, scissors and other sharp objects out of reach, seal with tape the slots into which batteries or magnets are inserted, etc. If the situation could not be prevented, parents need to know the list of actions that should be taken immediately .

What can a child swallow?

Objects that may inadvertently get into the baby’s gastrointestinal tract can be divided into two: large groups: dangerous and not posing a threat to health.

Dangerous foreign bodies: battery, magnet, coin, pin, glass, nail and others

Dangerous foreign bodies include:

• metal products (magnet, battery, coin, foil, iron balls, screws, nails, etc.);
• sharp or long objects (glass, nail, toothpick, paper clip, pin, fish bone, wooden stick);
• substances with poisonous and toxic properties.

Foreign bodies that do not pose a danger: pits from plums, cherries, peach, chewing gum, rubber and plastic objects, lost teeth

Non-hazardous foreign bodies include:

• substances associated with food (cherry, cherry, plum or peach pits, chewing gum, egg shells);
• plastic and rubber items (plastic buttons, beads, Legos, vacuum bands from headphones, cellophane);
• building materials (spray foam, silica gel);
• body parts (lost baby tooth, hair);
• other products (stone, plasticine, hair elastic, thread, cotton wool, etc.).

Signs and symptoms that indicate your child has swallowed a small object

A situation where a foreign object gets into the baby’s gastrointestinal tract can occur both in the absence and in the presence of an adult.

If you did not see that your child had swallowed a foreign body and did not take any action, over time he may develop the following symptoms:

• excessive salivation;
• bouts of severe coughing, difficulty breathing;
• a sharp rise in temperature;
• bloating, sharp and severe pain;
• presence of blood in the stool;
• chest pain;
• nausea and vomiting.

If you see that the child has suddenly started coughing, choking, or turned pale, you should immediately take him to the hospital. Most likely, the cause of the disease is the entry of a small foreign body into the respiratory tract.

What to do first if a child swallows a sharp or dangerous object

The greatest danger is posed by foreign objects that enter the child’s respiratory tract or trachea. In this case, access to oxygen is blocked, and the baby begins to suffocate. The main thing for parents in this situation is not to panic.

List of actions that should be taken if a foreign body is stuck “on the way” to the stomach:

1. Place the child over your left knee. The baby's head should be down.
2. Pat him with an open palm on his back, between his shoulder blades.
3. Press on the root of the tongue, causing a gag reflex.

Every parent must be fully aware that the child’s life depends entirely on his actions.

If you witness your baby swallowing a sharp object, battery or magnet, you should go to the hospital immediately. Waiting for the moment when a dangerous foreign body leaves the body on its own can cost the child’s life.

So, when a battery gets into the gastric juice, it begins to oxidize and release toxic substances that are harmful to health. If you do not see a doctor in time, sad consequences are inevitable. Chemical burn internal organs, stomach ulcer, bleeding, rupture of the walls of the esophagus, death - this is what swallowing a small battery can lead to.

Sharp objects (needles, paper clips, etc.), passing through the gastrointestinal tract, injure internal organs, cause inflammation, and provoke bleeding. Don't hesitate, consult a doctor!

How not to cause harm

If you see that your baby has swallowed a foreign body, you should clearly know the order of priority actions. Try not to panic, stay calm, because excitement and fear are transmitted to the child.

Under no circumstances should you:

• give enemas or give the young researcher laxatives. Artificial acceleration of work digestive system may lead to a number of undesirable consequences. A foreign object can injure the walls of internal organs with its edges and get stuck in the intestines, thereby causing its obstruction;
• force the baby to eat a piece of solid food, for example, a crust of stale bread;
• try to remove the foreign body using tweezers or a magnet.

If the diameter of the object swallowed by the child is no more than 1 cm, and it has a round shape, then the likelihood that the foreign body will independently pass through the gastrointestinal tract and come out with the stool is quite high. Be patient and check your stool regularly.

What to expect in the hospital

If your baby has swallowed a foreign body that poses a danger to him (magnets, batteries, fish bones, needles, etc.), he must be taken to a medical facility. In a hospital setting, using an X-ray or ultrasound, the doctor will determine the location where the foreign object is stuck. If it gets into the stomach, it will be released through FGS. The situation with the bronchi is much more complicated - manipulations will be carried out under anesthesia. After removing the foreign body, the child is monitored. If necessary, antibiotics may be prescribed to prevent infection of the lungs and bronchi.

Possible consequences

If you do not consult a doctor in time, a dangerous foreign body in a child’s body can cause a number of undesirable consequences: from intestinal obstruction to stomach ulcers, internal bleeding and even fatal outcome. Be carefull!

If a child swallows something: health school - video

For the most part, foreign bodies that a child can swallow do not pose a threat to his health. But foreign objects such as batteries, needles, toothpicks, and glass fragments carry an increased danger and can lead to irreversible consequences. Timely consultation with a doctor is the only right decision.

If a person notices swallowing glass immediately, the best thing to do is to induce vomiting. The fragment will be quickly removed from the body with food and mucus, without having time to cause much harm. If this happens to a child, vomiting will have to be induced artificially by pressing on the root of the tongue.

After this, even after making sure that you have left, you need to consult a doctor, describing the situation to him. He will give recommendations on further actions and prescribe an examination that will reveal damage to internal organs, if any.

If the glass does not come out with vomiting, you should immediately call an ambulance, describing the situation, and prepare for hospitalization.

If more than two hours had passed, the fragments could have time to move into the intestines and complicate the situation. Then only a qualified doctor will decide what to do, who must be informed as accurately as possible of the dimensions of the glass and the time of the incident.

X-rays will be useless in this situation, since the glass in its rays does not have contrast.

What you should never do

You cannot rely on the fact that the fragment is very small and wait until it comes out naturally. Using laxatives and enemas is also not recommended without medical supervision.

If the fragment is immediately after, it can be dangerous to make repeated attempts, so it is best to call a doctor and lie quietly while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

A lot of physical activity and activity during this period is also contraindicated, since any movements can cause internal injuries.

Actions after the fragment has left the body

From food for a week after this, preference should be given to decoctions and cereals, unless otherwise prescribed by doctors. Irritating foods such as hot spices and marinades are strictly prohibited. They can turn into painful ulcers the microtraumas that the shrapnel caused while inside.

For the same reason, you should avoid solid and indigestible foods for a while: nuts and bran. You will have to carefully monitor your stool for two to three days, and if glass fragments are found in it, it would be a good idea to consult a doctor again.

Small fragments often actually leave the body naturally, without causing any inconvenience to their owner. But you shouldn’t hope for this, since neglect in this case can lead to serious injuries and even death.