Parents of young children should know how to act in various serious situations. What to do if a very small child swallows a glass? It is dangerous for any baby if a sharp object is in his mouth. It is important not to get confused, but to begin to act quickly, observing all the recommendations of specialists.
The main danger from glass
The circumstances in which the child swallowed the glass are not so important, the main thing is that adults remain calm. In no case do not need to scold or blame the baby, this will frighten him even more. Parent actions should be quick and clear.
- First of all, it is worth putting the child on his back and checking if fragments remain in the oral cavity.
- Next, you should call an ambulance or take the baby to the hospital. Doctors will be able to assess the situation and choose the right treatment.
It is unlikely to do without the help of doctors, therefore, qualified assistance is necessary. If the glass is inside the stomach, then it can damage its walls and cause internal bleeding. When parents see fragments of glass when examining the oral cavity, they must be removed immediately. It is important to consider that cuts and blood can be on the mucosa. Even if all fragments from the oral cavity are removed, this does not mean that you do not need to contact a pediatrician. If successful, the fragments can get out of the child's body along with feces, but otherwise, they can injure the trachea and esophagus, worsening the baby's well-being.
Dangerous symptoms
What if your child swallows a glass splinter? It is worthwhile to carefully examine the oral cavity and immediately call an ambulance. You can only remove glass yourself if it is in sight. The splinter can get stuck in the palatine arch, so immediately you need to call the doctors to seize him. Consider the main symptoms that may indicate a deterioration in the condition of the child who swallowed the glass:
- A baby may drool involuntarily.
- Strong hiccups begin.
- Vomiting and nausea may occur.
- Blood streaks can be seen in the vomit.
- The child will refuse food.
- The baby may complain of pain in the chest area.
- Choking symptoms may appear.
Of course, it is important to know what to do if a small child who cannot tell about his symptoms swallows a piece of glass. Any malfunctions in the body can indicate serious deviations.
How to help a child?
First aid will depend on the size of the glass that has entered the body and the degree of organ damage. First aid is as follows:
- Parents should not only examine the oral cavity of the child, but also put a finger on the root of the tongue. The child will immediately begin a gag reflex and a splinter can come out with saliva. The fact is that saliva and vomiting can wash a splinter, while the esophagus is not damaged. It is worth remembering that it is necessary to call an ambulance.
- What to do if a baby swallows a glass? The next step will be just going to the doctor. The fact is that the glass can move deeper into the intestines.
- Experts are well aware that while the splinter is in the child’s esophagus, it must be fed with cereals and boiled vegetables. For three days, parents should carefully monitor the stool. In no case should you give the child a laxative and cause diarrhea.
In the case when the parents clearly followed the algorithm, the forecasts can be favorable.
What to do if the child has a mild severity of glass penetration
As soon as the small patient is taken to the hospital, he will be able to have an ultrasound scan that will reveal the location of the fragment and its size. If the case is particularly severe, then other diagnostic methods may be used. When it is not possible to detect a foreign body, the baby is still left in the hospital under supervision, in which case the parents remain with him. It is important to remember that a dangerous object can enter the intestine after three hours. The baby can stay in the hospital for three days. If no symptoms appear, then it can be suspected that the splinter came out with feces.
Some parents wonder: if a child swallows a piece of glass, what to do with his diet? In this case, proceed with caution. It is recommended to provide the baby with the following diet:
- Porridge in liquid form, which will envelop the stomach.
- You can cook decoctions of vegetables.
- Give drink yogurt and jelly.
It is this kind of food that can envelop the intestinal tract and relieve tension from the esophagus. If a sharp object is present in the child’s body, then there are chances that it will come out without injuring the baby’s internal organs.
What to do in severe cases
Parents need to know how to act in a more dangerous case. For example, what should I do if I swallowed the glass and it hit the baby in the trachea. The location of the fragment in this place is considered the most dangerous, it causes severe pain and an attack of suffocation. In this case, it is recommended to remove the glass as quickly as possible, and for this you can apply two methods:
- The most common is the Heimlich method. It is necessary to put the child with his back to the adult, clasp his hands, while one hand in a fist fixes the stomach, and the second is placed on top. In this position, rhythmic pressure is applied to the baby's stomach. The shard should exit the trachea if it is not stuck firmly inside.
- If the first option turned out to be not so effective, then it is worth turning the child upside down, while holding his legs. Gently shake the baby, and then ask him to take a deep breath.
When a small child swallows a glass and bleeds from his mouth, then you should not carry out such actions, otherwise you can do even more harm.
Therapeutic tactics
As soon as the child enters a medical facility, he is prescribed an examination and hardware diagnostics. Treatment is carried out in two ways:
- Doctors recommend that parents do not panic and know exactly what to do with the baby, what to do. The child swallowed the glass, but he does not have any complaints? In this case, there is nothing left, just to observe and wait for the splinter to come out on its own. But it should be noted that monitoring should be carried out in hospitals, so that in case of which, experts could always come to the rescue.
- In some cases, surgery is required. The child may begin to have breathing problems or the splinter will begin to move actively through the digestive tract, in which case only the operation can save it.
In any case, it is unlikely to do without the help of doctors.
What is the essence of surgery?
It is important not only to know what to do if the baby swallowed the glass, but also how to give him first aid. As soon as the child is taken to the hospital and examined, it will be possible to find out exactly where the foreign object is. If the fragment is located below the duodenum, then treatment can be carried out using endoscopy. This method will help if three hours have passed after the child swallowed the glass.
Many parents do not know how to act, and wonder if the child swallowed the glass, what should I do? Symptoms in this case can indicate a lot. For example, when the baby is constantly vomiting, he has blood going through his throat and the temperature rises, then you must call a doctor. In the hospital, the baby will be able to have a laparotomy. Abdominal surgery is extremely rare, only in especially dangerous cases, when other methods of treatment are inactive.
Parents should understand that young children require special attention, so babies need to be closely monitored and choose the right toys. This will help reduce the risk of such injuries.