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By Dr. Chetan Ginigiri,MBBS(JIPMER), MD (PGIMER) Fellowship PICU (Kings College London), Head of Dept – Paediatric & Neonatal services, Aster CMI Hospital
Kids learn about the world by touching, feeling and putting things in their mouths. Ingesting foreign bodies is their way of exploring the world. Small items like kid swallowed a coin, buttons, or batteries seems a very common incident, and since coins are easily accessible by babies and toddlers, their shining metallic luster appeals the little eyes, and as they like to taste everything, the silver Metal goes straight into the mouth. Read how can you stop your baby from putting everything in his mouth.
Children find everything as their potential food items and feed themselves with it. Touch and taste, chew and swallow’, this is how their mind works when they get something in their hands. Then it may or may not be a food item. If it is small and fits into his mouth, it is definitely being tested, and then maybe kid swallowed a coin and other small objects. Swallowing foreign objects like marbles, coins, mouth full’s of sand and tiny removable parts of toys are common problems for parents of a toddler. A child will happily swallow a foreign object and not even worry about it. Whereas, parents live in fear of “What to do now?”
What Are The Symptoms of Toddler Swallowing A Coin?
How Long It Takes To Pass Kid Swallowed a Coin?
My Child Swallowed A Penny, And It Is Stuck!
First Aid When Toddler Swallows a Penny
Kid Swallowed a Coin Treatment and Removal
Safety And Prevention Tips
If your kid swallowed a coin or a penny accidentally, then you need to watch out and carefully observe the child. If the kid swallowed a coin goes into the stomach, there is a huge possibility that the same will be passed through the colon and get expelled with stool. However, if the penny gets trapped in the passage to the stomach, it presents a risky situation and must be taken seriously. If the kid swallowed a coin gets stuck in the esophagus, it could cause distinctive symptoms like –
If the coin gets stuck in the intestine and tears intestinal walls a variety of symptoms might be evident like- blood in the stool due to which it could appear dark, bowel sounds that are not normal, stomach pain and vomiting. Sometimes the coin gets trapped, but a child can continue to swallow and eat without any difficulty. In such a situation, the child will cough continuously. The stuck coin can cause inflammation and irritation of the esophageal tissues, which can further rupture the esophagus, causing potentially dangerous situations.
Now you may be in a panic mode because your kid swallowed a coin or some other foreign object. 80 to 90 % of times, a coin or a small penny will pass on its own, causing no damage as it is round with soft edges, and eventually come out with stool. The coin passes through the digestive system and is expelled within a day or two. However, it is necessary to keep a keen eye on your child. It can be an emergency situation if there are the below-mentioned symptoms:
If your child is doing well and does not exhibit any symptoms, then you may as well wait for the penny to pass out through the stools. Though consulting a paediatrician is recommended, do not self medicate by giving laxatives to your child to hasten the process of excretion as it may not help. Neither will be forcing your child to gulp food. If you are scared or feel helpless, the best option would be to seek the doctor’s advice.
If the coin has passed through the throat, into the stomach, it should pass out from the system in less than 4-5 days, and usually within two days. A coin that is stuck will induce s tomach or chest pain, drooling, trouble swallowing, vomiting and fever. In any of these cases, take the child to the hospital as early as possible and take the doctor’s advice.
If there are any symptoms of a coin or a foreign object is stuck, you must NOT–
You can follow the following steps if your child swallows a coin or something else that is soft, small, smooth and not poisonous:
If the coin does not comes out even after following all the steps stated above and remains in the body for more than 48 hours, it is time to head to the hospital even if your child does not exhibit any symptoms of uneasiness. Visit your doctor and take medical help. The doctor may ask you to wait some more and suggest some medicines for helping your child poop the coin out. The doctor will also help locate the exact position of the coin in your child with the help of X-ray, and you can be certain that the object your kid swallowed a coin only and nothing else. Though, there is no need to remove a coin with surgical methods. However, if the swallowed object is not a coin and something sharp, that can damage or puncture your child’s Gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the doctor may suggest endoscopy.
Here are some precautions you must take to avoid happening of such incidents.
Please note that this article is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
Dr Chetan Ginigeri is an experienced Pediatric Intensivist with national and international training. With 15 years of experience, he is one among very few Intensivists in India trained to take care of children who need/had organ transplants. He has been responsible for coordinating the Pediatric Organ Transplant program.Read more.
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PT
Apr 06, 2017
My child swallowed a coin and and started crying. He was puting his fingers in throat to take the coin out. we realized that the coin was stuck in throat. We tried to take the coin out by taping on the upper back but it did not work. The child vomited couple of times but by that time the coin had entered the stomach (we thought so because within the 15 minutes the child was normal. He stopped crying started drinking and eating). After about 8 hours we did xray and the coin traced in the intestine. Doctor advised to wait till 3-4 days to allow the coin to travel with the excreta. We waited for 6 days (because the child was absolutely fine with the coin inside and did not complain of any pain) and on completion of 24 X 6 hours the coin was out. The doctor said if the coin is swallowed one must take the child to ENT specialist who can pull out the coin easily if it is stuck in the throat. If it is passed the throat one must do a xray to be certain of the coin location. If the coin passed the food pipe wait for 3-4 days and monitor the excreta to check if the coin is expelled.
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madiha
Mar 29, 2017
apki bachi ka coin nikal gaya h kaya tell me plzz my daughter also take coin what i do
P
PT
Apr 06, 2017
My child swallowed a coin and and started crying. He was puting his fingers in throat to take the coin out. we realized that the coin was stuck in throat. We tried to take the coin out by taping on the upper back but it did not work. The child vomited couple of times but by that time the coin had entered the stomach (we thought so because within the 15 minutes the child was normal. He stopped crying started drinking and eating). After about 8 hours we did xray and the coin traced in the intestine. Doctor advised to wait till 3-4 days to allow the coin to travel with the excreta. We waited for 6 days (because the child was absolutely fine with the coin inside and did not complain of any pain) and on completion of 24 X 6 hours the coin was out. The doctor said if the coin is swallowed one must take the child to ENT specialist who can pull out the coin easily if it is stuck in the throat. If it is passed the throat one must do a xray to be certain of the coin location. If the coin passed the food pipe wait for 3-4 days and monitor the excreta to check if the coin is expelled.
M
madiha
Mar 29, 2017
apki bachi ka coin nikal gaya h kaya tell me plzz my daughter also take coin what i do
K
KH
Feb 01, 2017
My 4 year old son swallow the dime. I mashed a banana and mixed with white cumin seeds. Mixed it very very well and gave him. After 2 days we did an xray and no sign of coin we found.
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Shivaji
Dec 31, 2016
What should I do to see the coin xray or ultrasound ?
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dharmendra kumar
Dec 22, 2016
dear sir my son 2 year old he take the coins and coins is 5 rupeea please help me what i do....
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Reitumetse
Dec 13, 2016
My doughter swallowed a R2 coin an she don' t want to eat anything,even to drink a something
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sayed Abid Hussain
Dec 12, 2016
My nephew right no have swelled a coin . And there is no medical center pleas give me suggestions for solving this problem.
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phil
Oct 08, 2016
my 8 yo grandson swallowed a penny 5 days ago and he has no symptoms of obstruction but the X-ray shows the coin at about the oleo-cecal valve. Is it ok to continue watching? What should be done, since the pediatrician has been notified?
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Nat
Oct 06, 2016
my 2 year old toddler swallowed a fifty cent coin and started suffocating, vomited and turned blue. I gave him several back blows and after a minute he coin came out. I learnt that on TV many years and never forgot that technique. Thanks God
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Emmanuel
Oct 03, 2016
The best thing you can do is to go to hospital with the baby..My daughter swallowed 10 Pessewa on the 2nd October 2016 and after we sent her to hospital, the coin came out the on the 3rd and I thank God for that....Please be quick and go to hospital
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abhishek
Sep 14, 2016
how to release the coin from stomatch ....naturally or by sugary pls tell my cell no 09823063813
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ogunfodunrin funmii
Sep 11, 2016
my child swallowed a ghana pesewas what can j i do to make him vomit or bring it out
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kumar
Jul 21, 2016
my baby swallowed one rupee coin and found it is in stomach ,doctor said wait it will passes on stool.awaiting and gave the bananas more...need to see how it works
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mukesh kumar ohdar
Jun 24, 2016
my child swallowed chandi metal on 21 st jun .doctor said wait for 3-4 days .today he vommited and fever.sir tell me what to do.and sorry for poor english
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TEAM BTP
May 25, 2016
Hi Aamir, In such a case, your child's doctor would be the best person to guide you further. Please seek medical advice. Thank you.
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TEAM BTP
May 25, 2016
Hi Agrata, We suggest that you seek immediate medical advice from a doctor regarding your child's condition. All the best!
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Agrata
May 24, 2016
Hi , My child has swallowed a coin 10X24 mm on 20th May 2015. Please share you no. Would appreciate if you could advise what did you do. my email id is agrata.email@rediffmail.com
A
Aamir
May 21, 2016
My child swallowed a coin and its been 5 days the coin is still in the stomach but it has changed its location after compare x ray result. Pls advise what to do.
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Mohammad Shahidur Rahman
May 18, 2016
My 6 years old child swallowed a 2 taka coin. After x-Ray we see this coin in horizontal in stomach. Already 10 days past but coin does not come out. What can I do?
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Ravi
May 04, 2016
My child swalled a fifty paise silver coin. After taken xray it is still found in stomach for 10 days. What i do and any problem from this?...plz help me
Y
Yogendra
Mar 25, 2016
My child age 4year swallow a one rupee coin. After luking xray i found the coin is in stomatch till now from 4 days. What can i do 4 my child that coin will withdraw from stomatch? Pls help me
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bsprakash
Jan 08, 2016
I like it
A
Ajit kumar
Dec 22, 2015
My child swallow a one rupee coin. After luking xray i found the coin is in stomatch till now from 10 days. What can i do 4 my child that coin will withdraw from stomatch? Pls help me
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MBBS(JIPMER), MD (PGIMER) Fellowship PICU (Kings College London), Head of Dept – Paediatric & Neonatal services, Aster CMI Hospital
A passionate Child Health Advocate, Paediatric Emergency and ICU consultant, Child Safety Expert, Author, and Teambuilder – Dr. Chetan Ginigeri wears different hats according to the role necessitated at the time.
Having trained in India’s best medical Schools (JIPMER Puducherry & PGI Chandigarh) and advanced training in Pediatric and Transplant Intensive care at Kings College Hospital London – Dr. Chetan’s journey has encompassed all setups in Indian healthcare to NHS.
He previously heads the Children’s ICU at Narayana Health Bangalore and was one of the co-founders of PeopleTree Hospitals Yeshwantpur. Currently, he heads a large multidisciplinary team of Paediatricians at Aster CMI Hospital Hebbal Bangalore.
Child safety and prevention of unintentional injuries in children is very dear to him. PLAYFUL – An ultimate Guide to Child Safety is a book authored by him and has already sold more than 10,000 copies. This online platform is an ongoing attempt to address this new Public Health problem.