The child swallowed a coin of 10 kopecks what to do. What to do if a child accidentally swallows a coin: symptoms, consequences and emergency care. What is necessary so that small objects are not swallowed

Young children often put everything they see into their mouths. Babies especially like miniature items - designer elements, figures from kinder surprises and even coins. The tiny part is easy to swallow, which happens to babies all the time. What to do if a child swallowed a coin? Wait until it comes out naturally or sound the alarm?

Children regularly put small objects into their mouths - coins are included in this category.

What is the danger?

The coin is a subject of public use and it certainly contains entire colonies of harmful bacteria. The kid who took it in his mouth runs the risk of getting stomatitis or another oral disease. However, this is not the most unpleasant scenario. One of the dangers is that a metal object can be inhaled

together with air, it enters the respiratory tract - the trachea or bronchi. This situation is fraught with suffocation, and sometimes a metal product in the bronchi can remain for quite a long time without causing discomfort. In this case, over time, inflammation will certainly occur at its location.

If the coin has safely entered the esophagus, its path should pass through the stomach, then the small and large intestines, and finally end in a baby potty or diaper. However, not all so simple. There are quite narrow places in the intestines of the child, in which a round object can get stuck. The consequences are fraught with complications - intestinal blockage, as well as the development of inflammation, when the penny begins to oxidize.

Symptoms to look out for

Dear reader!

This article talks about typical ways to solve your questions, but each case is unique! If you want to know how to solve your particular problem - ask your question. It's fast and free!

Parents are not always sure that the child managed to swallow something. The absence of money that was in the mother's wallet does not mean that all of them got into the child's esophagus or stomach. The kid could shift a coin somewhere, or throw it into a far corner. In this regard, it is worth taking a closer look at the child who played with small objects before calling an ambulance. Consider the symptoms that may mean that the offspring swallowed an object:

  • the baby is restless, he constantly cries, feels discomfort;
  • the crumbs have profuse salivation;


Anxiety and increased salivation indicate a possible swallowing of the object
  • refusal of food, water;
  • the child has vomiting, and the contents of the stomach come out in clots;
  • the baby complains of pain in the chest, abdomen;
  • the crumbs have dark, almost black feces.

What should parents do?

Parents who notice one or more of these symptoms should immediately call an ambulance or go to the doctor on their own. However, it happens that the baby suffocates because a foreign object has entered the respiratory tract. In this case, you should try to extract it yourself:

  • If the child coughs, chokes on saliva, it can be assumed that the coin is stuck in the throat. Then you should open the baby's mouth and try to remove it with your fingers. This method is the simplest, but it is not always possible to do this.
  • The baby began to suffocate - he blushed, breathing with a whistle. This means that a foreign object could have entered the respiratory tract. In this case, you should act quickly, without waiting for the baby to suffocate. If he is not yet 1 year old, the baby should be placed on his stomach on his knee and grab his lower jaw with his hand. The head should be below the level of the buttocks. Then, with your free hand, make 4 claps on the back between the shoulder blades. Then turn the baby over (head below the level of the hips) and rhythmically press 4 times with two fingers on the sternum below the nipples. These actions must be alternated until the ambulance arrives.


Knowing first aid can even save a child's life.
  • If the child is over a year old, you should ask him to cough. If you can’t cough up a coin, you should use the Heimlich maneuver. To do this, stand behind, clasp him with your hands in the abdomen. Clench one hand into a fist, press the thumb to the center of the abdomen - below the sternum, but above the navel. Press the child's stomach several times with a sharp push up, bending your arms at the elbows. Do this until the coin falls out.

An important point is the peace of mind of the parents. Do not panic, causing stress to the child. If the baby is calm, cheerful, active, then even more so.

According to Dr. Komarovsky, statistics indicate that if an object is not stuck in the esophagus, but safely enters the stomach, then it is 80-90% likely to bypass the entire intestine and come out naturally.

When should you urgently call an ambulance?

Most often, a coin in the esophagus does not require the intervention of specialists, even if it is large, for example, ruble. She will move herself along the digestive tract along with food. However, some factors increase the risk of complications. If a child has swallowed a large ruble coin and a foreign object causes discomfort, prevents the child from breathing, you should immediately call an ambulance. The table shows typical situations, as well as the actions of parents that must be taken before the arrival of specialists.



Most often, the coin passes through the intestines and leaves it on its own.

What to do it is forbidden?

Many parents, falling into a panic, act imprudently. In order not to harm the child, in no case should you:

  • feed the baby if a foreign object causes discomfort - that is, if it is stuck in the esophagus;
  • give a laxative to the baby or immediately put an enema;
  • no need to artificially induce vomiting, wash the stomach;
  • many pediatricians warn - do not turn the child upside down and try to shake out a foreign object from the throat.

Actions of doctors

What do doctors do if a child swallows a coin? After the little patient is taken to the hospital, the doctor usually prescribes research. As a rule, this is either an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity or an x-ray. This is necessary to understand in which part of the gastrointestinal tract the foreign object is located. Further actions of specialists depend on the information received:

  • If the picture shows that the coin is stuck in the esophagus, the doctor will most likely prescribe an endoscopic removal. Children usually perform these procedures under general anesthesia. The doctor removes the foreign object using a flexible fibroesophagoscope. Sometimes this cannot be done, then the coin is simply pushed into the stomach.
  • If the foreign body is already in the stomach, doctors recommend waiting until it leaves the body naturally. How long will you have to wait? Usually the waiting time is from 3 to 5 days, sometimes this period is extended up to 10-11 days. The child is not placed in a hospital, but only parents are asked to carefully monitor the baby's stool in order to see the metal product in the feces in time. If the coin does not fall lower, a decision is made to extract it.
  • Also in the picture you can see that the foreign object is in the intestine. This option allows you to hope for a favorable outcome. It is important not to try to speed up the release of the coin - do not give enemas, do not give the child a laxative. If a metal object begins to move rapidly along with feces, damage to the intestinal walls is possible. Experts recommend feeding the baby with vegetables containing a large amount of fiber, giving juices, compotes from dried fruits and prunes.


X-ray or ultrasound helps to detect the presence of a foreign object

If your baby often puts inappropriate objects in his mouth, you should try to wean him from a bad habit. To do this, pick up a few toys that can be licked and chewed without harm, and give the crumbs as soon as he is about to try something on the tooth. In addition, try to protect the little researcher from potentially dangerous objects - hide money away, secure batteries in children's toys well, keep screws, screws, needles, etc. out of reach.

A coin is a potentially dangerous item for a baby. It can be inhaled, cause choking, and sharp edges can damage the esophagus and intestines. If it is an object with a large diameter, the risk of damage to the esophagus increases. However, as soon as the metal product enters the stomach, it is best to be patient and wait for it to come out along with the feces. In this case, it is advisable to consult a specialist who will tell parents how to act in case of an unforeseen situation.

Any parent should know in advance how to behave if a child has swallowed a coin, what to do if it is 1 ruble or even 10 kopecks. When to apply for medical care? Is it always?

Condition features

A coin is considered a very dangerous foreign object, which is primarily due to its mass. For example, modern Russian ruble weighs exactly 3.25 grams, and a coin with a face value of 10 kopecks 1.85 grams. Don't believe? See Wikipedia "Coins_Russian_Federation".

Heavy foreign objects are difficult to move through the intestines and therefore there is a possibility that they will simply get stuck or will not be able to move through any part of the intestine.

In addition, the coin is made of metal, which is not inert. For this reason, the foreign body will be exposed to gastric acid, as well as digestive enzymes, which will lead to corroded and even chemical burns of the delicate intestinal mucosa.

Moreover, a coin can even damage the mucous membrane. It is clear that its edges are not too sharp, but in the presence of spastic contractions of the intestinal muscles, a state arises when not very sharp objects can cause damage to the mucous membrane.

What to do if a child swallows a coin?

Procedure and pathological manifestations

First of all, one should distinguish between swallowing a coin and getting a foreign body into the respiratory tract. In the second case, the condition should be considered as extremely serious. First of all, there is no need to panic. The first action is an immediate call to an ambulance. All other manipulations should be performed while waiting for the ambulance.

Given the physiology of the respiratory tract, it can be predicted that the coin is most likely to affect the lumen of the larynx. The resulting coughing attack can push out a coin, especially if it is a small coin with a low denomination (from 1 to 10 kopecks).

The patient's condition will inevitably worsen: panic, fear, sore throat, noisy breathing with wheezing, cough, with pale skin and a bluish complexion, pronounced salivation, and so on.

First, you need to use a flashlight to examine the child's oral cavity. If the oral cavity is free, you should grab the baby’s chest with your hands, and press hard on it, at intervals of 3 to 5 seconds.

You can also put the child with his stomach down on his knee and do it several times on the back. If all actions did not lead to the extraction of a foreign body, one can only hope that an ambulance is already somewhere nearby.


When swallowing a coin, the situation will not look as threatening as in the previous case. If the foreign body is not too large, most likely, the swallowing process itself will not lead to the appearance of any terrible symptoms.

If the coin is large, say, with a denomination of 1 ruble or more, the appearance of negative symptoms is not excluded: pain when a foreign body passes through the esophagus, hiccups, salivation, nausea, vomiting.

As soon as the coin is in the stomach, the child's condition should be completely normal. There is enough space in the stomach and therefore a foreign body will not lead to spasm and pain.

The actions of parents in this case, in principle, come down to only one thing - this is still the same call for an ambulance. No independent manipulations are necessary. If the child is calm, there is no need to frighten him with terrible questions. If the baby is excited, he should be reassured by saying that nothing terrible has happened.

What Not to Do?

Obviously, any relative of the child wants to help him. Nevertheless, there are actions that are not recommended. First of all, you should not give your child stale bread to push a foreign body through the esophagus.

In addition, it is unacceptable to use enemas, induce vomiting, give a laxative, try to feel a coin, use semi-esoteric techniques carried out using magnets, electrical appliances and other improvised items.

Further tactics and forecasts

AT medical institution The patient will undergo an x-ray. Metals do not transmit x-rays and therefore the coin will be clearly visible.

Most likely, the patient will be hospitalized, and doctors will adhere to expectant tactics. The patient is shown strict bed rest. In this case, the coin is more likely to be able to overcome the entire length of the intestine.

Bowel examinations will be repeated periodically. In addition, you will have to study the child's stool to determine the fact of self-extraction of a foreign body.

We should talk about the negative development of the situation when the coin stops in some part of the intestine. Predicting exactly where this will happen is quite difficult, but most often foreign bodies get stuck at the border of the small and large intestines.

The patient's condition in this case will rapidly deteriorate. There will be acute pain, an increase in the size of the abdomen, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, and so on. There is only one way out in this case - urgent surgical intervention, the purpose of which is to remove the foreign body and restore normal intestinal patency.

In non-started cases, the operation is usually simple. But in any case, it will take time for the body to recover. After a period of several months, only a scar on the abdomen will remind of what happened.

Little kids are little troubles. However, it does not always work out exactly as the proverb says. Sometimes the most unexpected things happen at the most inopportune times. And one of the biggest troubles is foreign objects in the baby's body. It's impossible to follow this. You can't always control. According to statistics, most often coins are swallowed by children from one to three years old. This is where the research factor comes in: what will happen if you swallow it, and what does it taste like - this yellowish round? And it's very dangerous. The consequences are difficult to predict, and therefore the actions of parents must be meaningful. Below we will analyze what to do if a child swallows a coin.

Procedure

  • Calm down. Because of excitement, you can commit an act, the consequences of which will be very sad. Yes, and the excitement of adults to the baby is clearly useless. So calmness and only calmness;
  • Understand what denomination a child swallowed a coin. A penny or 50 kopecks - that's okay. It will come out with feces on its own after a few hours. Greater dignity - already problems. It is better, of course, that it was not 5 rubles and not a 10-ruble coin. A small coin will overcome the path to the pot without much difficulty. But more large denomination may get stuck. Or in the respiratory tract, or in the esophagus.

If a coin is stuck in the baby's throat?

  • turn the child on his back and lightly pat 5-6 times;
  • turn it with its back to you and press on the stomach with an interval of 5 seconds;
  • try to feel for the coin and carefully remove it;
  • cause the child to vomit. To do this, gently press on the root of the tongue.

What symptoms should promptly call a doctor?

  • the coin was in the esophagus and the baby is suffering from acute pain;
  • there was a strong cough, the temperature jumped sharply and profuse salivation began.

What actions of parents can harm

If a child swallowed a coin, and you think that everything is over and you can help the child with any help, this is not so. It is important to adhere to the following rules:

  • do not force the baby to eat against his will;
  • do not give him solid foods (for example, bread) to push through an object stuck in his throat;
  • do not give him laxatives, so as not to cause a rupture of the internal organs when the coin leaves the body due to spasms;
  • do not shake the child - he will only get scared, but the coin will not magically jump out of him;

What to expect from a doctor

Such cases are dealt with by specialists of two profiles:

  • radiologists;
  • surgeons.

First, you will be asked to take an x-ray to understand exactly where the coin is stuck, what denomination it is and in what position it is. The fact is that a foreign object with pointed edges may cause bleeding when passing through the internal organs.

How urgently do you need specialist help?

If all goes well, the doctor will offer to wait for the natural course of events. If not, an endoscopy will be needed. In more critical situations, surgical intervention is indispensable. However, doctors have to deal with such problems quite often. Some experts even have entire collections of small items that ended up in children's bodies - from magnets and coins to small fire engines. So trust the doctors, they know what they are doing! But it is worth remembering: if the baby has a fever and lost his appetite after all the medical procedures, urgently show him to the doctor again!

What items other than coins are dangerous?

  • designer details. Very often, one-year-old researchers do not leave them unattended. This is just the age when everything needs to find the right place. It happens that this place is in the nose or in the mouth. Parts from the magnetic designer are very dangerous. Once inside the body, they will be attracted to each other, which will lead to internal bleeding;
  • batteries. Many toys are equipped with them, and therefore it doesn’t cost anything to remove them from the nest and attach them where they should be. By the way, batteries consist of an electrolyte, and this threatens with quite devastating consequences for the body. In this case, it is necessary to immediately call a doctor, without waiting for the battery to come out naturally.
  • needles, nails, various small toys and cereals. Here the algorithm of your actions is the same: to understand what got into the child's body, and how he reacted to it. If you managed without outside help - great. Waiting for it to come out. If not, we try to alleviate the patient's condition before the ambulance arrives, but without sudden movements.

What is necessary so that small objects are not swallowed

  • parents' attention. In sight of a baby older than a year, there should not be anything at all that can be placed in the nose, ear or swallowed. It is better to immediately protect against temptation than to solve problems later. Very often mothers want to amaze their child. For example, offer him to shift the cereal from bowl to bowl and sort through the beads. However, if you notice that your child strives to put grains or beads in his nose or swallow, leave this activity until a more reasonable age. Security is more expensive than early development!
  • explain why this is not possible. When the baby is older, try to instill in him that it is dangerous to take anything inedible such as a coin, a battery or a carnation in your mouth.

If it happened anyway

Don't blame yourself! Usually everything happens quickly, you won’t have time to blink an eye, and the coin, for example, is already in the baby’s mouth. The main thing here is not to get confused, try to figure out what denomination the coin was missing, calm the victim, and look at the consequences in order to help him in time on his own. If you still can't handle it, call your doctor.

Young children need the control and attention of their parents. As soon as the child begins to crawl, to walk independently, he needs an eye and an eye. Shelves, drawers, small items - all this should not be accessible to the baby. Children explore the world around them in two ways: tactilely and by taste. Seeing an interesting, bright, attractive, or up to this point unfamiliar object, the child will instantly want to study and figure out what it is intended for. Therefore, it is possible that a coin lost on the floor will become the object of “research”. It must be remembered that even such a small object is dangerous for the health of the child.

Dangerous coins: a penny, a ruble or ten?

If the baby swallowed, for example, a penny, it is not so dangerous. It will pass through the stomach, intestines and out naturally. A ten-kopeck coin, if it enters the body, will come out on its own within a week.

A ruble, a two-five-ruble coin will come out on its own. A ten-ruble iron circle is much harder for the body, because it is quite large. If the object is more than two centimeters in diameter, this is fraught with unpleasant consequences. If the swallowed object does not appear with a stool within three days - a maximum of a week, you need to consult a doctor. Be sure to take an x-ray, on the basis of which to decide on further actions. It is possible that surgery will be required. With this option, so that the withdrawal procedure is painless, anesthesia and an endoscopic apparatus are used.

Coins for children are not toys. It is necessary to remove all coins from the baby's access area

If a six-month-old, one-year-old child ate a coin, you need to be as careful as possible, since an object of any size can injure the baby's body. Plus, you need to take into account that he cannot verbally express what happened. If the baby can more or less express himself, then in game form you need to establish what happened. Older children, with a stronger body, may not feel any changes in their well-being, but even in this case there is no need to lose vigilance and consult a doctor.

How to understand if a child has swallowed a coin?

As soon as a foreign object enters the child's body, into the stomach, some signs appear:

  • aching, worsening pain in the abdomen;
  • chest pain;
  • nausea and vomiting for no reason;
  • blood in the stool.

Indirect symptoms

  • the child is restless, whiny;
  • refusal of food, profuse salivation and even hiccups;
  • large coins press on the airways, causing shortness of breath and coughing.

There are cases that even after swallowing a coin, the child feels good and no unusual behavior is noticed behind him.

How urgently to see a doctor?

If a swallowed coin enters the digestive system, it will come out naturally. If it does not cause any symptoms and inconvenience, it will still not be superfluous to watch your child for several days in order to make sure everything is in order.

When a small foreign body gets stuck in the digestive tract, there is a cough, pain when swallowing, vomiting. In this case, do not hesitate - consult a doctor.

What should not be done?

You, as a parent, always want to help your blood. The desire to respond quickly and deal with the problem on your own is commendable. Therefore, you need to know how to properly help a child who has swallowed a coin.

Attention! You can not give a laxative or emetic medicine, do an enema to a child when he has swallowed a foreign object. This will complicate the situation. There is a huge risk of injury to the intestines by the edges of the very object in the baby's body.

  1. You can not water or feed a child to advance the coin.
  2. You can not "shake" a small object out of the child.
  3. You can not force to chew the bread crust.

How to help?

Initially, if you decide not to wait for the coin to come out by itself, but call an ambulance, sit or lay the child down and observe his condition.

Check if an object is stuck in the airway. If respiration is not difficult, there is no shortness of breath, then the coin went through the digestive tract. You just have to wait for the doctor and the solution to the problem.

Emergency help: coins out!

If the child chokes and immediately develops symptoms of choking, wheezing or persistent coughing, remember that you have approximately four minutes to help.

If the child cannot cough up the foreign object himself, you need to open his mouth and press the root of the tongue with your thumb, thereby causing vomiting.

If you manage to find the “cursed” coin, carefully remove it with your fingers. This must be done very carefully so as not to push the object further.

Place the baby on your stomach on your lap and tap on the back, as is done when someone chokes on food.

If the baby is choking, gently roll him over on his stomach and pat his back

Video of Dr. Komarovsky: “What to do if the child chokes? First aid"

How long can you wait?

If the coin does not cause any symptoms, then you can wait 12-48 hours while observing the condition of the child. If a coin does not come out in a day, this does not mean that it is stuck. Since the body cannot recognize what material is in the stomach, it will try to digest it until it finally gives up.

Precautionary measures

Often, unpleasant situations happen due to parental negligence. Therefore, as soon as the baby begins to move independently around the apartment or house, it is necessary to remove tiny dangerous objects that he can reach.

Do not let the playing baby out of line of sight. He needs an eye for an eye.

Video on what to do if a foreign body enters the body of a child

Be vigilant, attentive and caring. A child needs affection, warmth and love. If you give all this to your baby, then he will not pull unfamiliar objects into his mouth without asking.

Article content: classList.toggle()">expand

In the process of active knowledge of the world at a certain stage of its development, a child can swallow a coin of different denominations. What to do if a child swallowed a penny or 5 and 2 ruble coins? When to call an ambulance? And what are the possible consequences if a child swallows a coin? You will read about this and much more in our article.

Symptoms of a swallowed coin

Symptoms of swallowing a variety of foreign objects is not specific and depends on the age of the baby, the size and shape of the object, the specifics of its penetration into the body. The greatest danger to the child is the direct penetration of the coin into the respiratory tract. Typical symptoms that a child has swallowed a coin:

  • Violent barking cough, intermittent;
  • Blueing of the skin on the face;
  • Significant deterioration in breathing with the formation of whistling noises in the lungs;
  • Panic state.

With a sufficiently large size of the coin, as well as its penetration with the overlap of the respiratory channels, after a short period of time the child begins to suffocate and may lose consciousness.

If the coin did not enter the respiratory tract, but passed through the esophagus and stomach, then there are no instant signs of a pathological process. However, after some time, the following symptoms may appear:

  • Indigestion;
  • Mild or moderate pain in the stomach area;
  • Formation of vomiting;
  • The appearance of blood clots in the stool, severe constipation.

What to do if a child swallows a coin

The child needs immediate first aid if a foreign object has entered the respiratory tract. A possible scheme of events if a coin was swallowed by a child under 1 year old:

  • Open the child's mouth and make sure that the coin cannot be reached directly with tweezers;
  • Rest the baby's stomach in the forearm of the hand, supporting the back and chin;
  • Lower the child's head at an angle of 60 °, after which, with the edge of the palm of your hand, apply light blows to the back between the shoulder blades. If there is no effect after several series of procedures, proceed to the next paragraph;
  • Sit on a chair and lay the child on your knees with his back;
  • Make pushes with your fingers in the area of ​​​​the sternum of the child (moderate intensity). Repeat activities in 3-4 sets.

What to do if a coin is swallowed by a child from 2 to 4 years old and older:

  • Stand behind the child and grab him by the waist, taking his hands in the castle;
  • Gently press your palms on the stomach below the navel;
  • Every 5 seconds, perform several strong pushes in the same location.

If the performed procedures do not work, the child suffocates and loses consciousness, then immediately call an ambulance home.

Start manual resuscitation, including. If the coin did not enter the respiratory tract, but passed through the throat and esophagus into the stomach, then specific first aid measures are not provided.

It is necessary to monitor the child's condition and, if there are signs of dyspeptic disorders, intestinal bleeding, or other alarming symptoms, visit a doctor.

If a child swallows a coin, try not to panic in the first place. Inadequate behavior will additionally frighten the child, who may begin to become hysterical. Even if there are moderate signs of the pathological process, they will increase significantly for subjective reasons. Do not yell at the baby, calm him down and consistently carry out the necessary first-aid actions if necessary.

Similar articles

What not to do if a child swallows a coin:

  • Feed and drink. Until the specifics of the pathological process are clarified, it is forbidden to give the child food and drink, especially if there is a suspicion that a coin has entered the respiratory tract.
  • Push foreign object. In some cases, a coin stuck in the throat does not block the airways, but causes severe discomfort to the baby. If the coin is located in the immediate vicinity of the exit to the oral cavity, then you can try to get it with tweezers. Otherwise, it is strictly forbidden to push the product in any way, for example, allowing solid foods, bread to be consumed.
  • Shake and knock out a coin. Striking in the projection of the direct location of the coin, turning the child upside down with an attempt to shake it out does not give any positive effect, but can aggravate the course of the pathological process.
  • Give a laxative or an enema. If the coin has successfully passed the throat, esophagus and entered the stomach, then it is not allowed to induce the process of its removal with the help of a laxative and an enema. It is necessary to wait for the natural process of defecation or consult a doctor.

When urgent medical attention is needed

If a child swallows a coin, then call an ambulance to the house or carry out emergency hospitalization to the nearest hospital on their own recommended in the following cases:

  • Coin inhalation. A characteristic acute symptomatology is manifested, requiring immediate qualified assistance;
  • Stopping a foreign object in the throat. If the coin is large enough, then there are chances of it stopping between the mouth and esophagus without entering the respiratory tract. The object brings severe discomfort to the child, it must be pulled out using a professional tool and the skills of an experienced doctor;
  • Formation of obvious pathological symptoms regarding the gastrointestinal tract. If a coin has entered the esophagus or stomach, but does not come out naturally, then with a high degree of probability, after a while, the child will develop dyspeptic pathological signs in the form of moderate or severe pain syndrome, vomiting, constipation, sometimes intestinal bleeding. If these symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

How long can you wait for the coin to come out on its own?

Modern endoscopists and other specialized experts recommend not to wait for the coin to come out on its own, but to consult a doctor without fail to undergo a diagnosis and determine the exact location of the coin in the body.

Even if the child has not developed pathological symptoms, after a while the signs may appear suddenly.

In the absence of the possibility of immediate treatment if the child feels well, the maximum waiting period is 1-2 days. At the same time, you should carefully observe the child and clearly identify the moment the object came out along with the feces.

Danger of swallowing coins of different denominations

The coin is different from the coin and the potential possibility of an independent exit of a foreign object depends not only on the physiological characteristics of the child's body, but also on the physical size of the product. The larger it is, the higher the probability of a coin stopping in the throat, gastrointestinal tract. Possible consequences if a child swallows a coin:

  • Airways. Pathology develops immediately after ingestion, if the product has fallen into this area;
  • Throat. Large objects often stop there and cause great discomfort;
  • Esophagus. It is impossible to visually examine a coin in the esophagus without equipment. Even a short stay of a coin in this area with its sticking to the wall provokes serious consequences - edema, bedsores, septic reactions;
  • Stomach. A foreign object can stay there for a long time without symptoms, however, metal products, under the action of the acidic contents of the organ, release oxides and other compounds that pathologically affect the entire body. Secondary consequences - gastritis, ulcer, other chronic pathology;
  • Intestines. Sometimes the coin stops in the intestine on the way of bends and provokes perforation of the organ.

As practice shows, if the coin has successfully passed the throat, esophagus and stomach, then with a probability of 90% it will come out naturally with the defecation process.

If a child swallows a coin, depending on its denomination, the following potential problems are possible:

  • Coins in denominations of 5 and 10 kopecks. They have a diameter of 15.5 and 17.5 millimeters, respectively. High risk of inhalation. If they are completed successfully, then with a high degree of probability the objects will leave the body naturally;
  • 1 ruble coin. It has a diameter of 20.5 millimeters. Low risk of inhalation due to increased size. Sometimes stops in the esophagus, stomach, or rectum;
  • Coins in denominations of 2 and 10 rubles. They have diameters of 23 and 22 mm, respectively. Most likely not inhaled, but more likely to get stuck in the throat or esophagus. With the successful passage of these parts leave the body naturally;
  • A coin with a face value of 5 rubles. The product diameter of 25 millimeters practically guarantees that it will not enter the respiratory system due to its large size. However, with a high degree of probability, it will not come out of the gastrointestinal tract on its own.

What to do if the coin does not come out on its own

First you need to make sure that the foreign object did not come out with feces. Quite often, the coin is in the thickness of the feces, therefore, with regular monitoring of the child's condition and the procedure for defecation, it is advisable to wash the biological material or separate it in order to search for a metal object.

If after 2 days the result is negative, and you are sure that the coin has not come out, then you should contact a gastroenterologist, endoscopist or surgeon. He prescribes the following procedures:

  • X-ray. Allows you to locate the coin;
  • Endoscopy. An alternative to x-ray, also visualizing the presence of a foreign object in the gastrointestinal tract. At the same time, with the help of an endoscope, it is removed non-surgically;
  • Operational intervention. It is prescribed in cases where the independent exit of the coin is impossible, the endoscopy procedure does not give a result, the patient develops a pathological symptom complex, and it is impossible to get a foreign object in another way.

Dr. Komarovsky first of all recommends explicitly identifying the type of foreign object that has entered the esophagus and stomach through the child's oral cavity. So, batteries, sharp and long products are of particular danger. Coins belong to the intermediate version, have a streamlined shape and can come out on their own if their size does not exceed 2-2.5 centimeters.

Seek immediate medical attention or take any initial pre-medical emergency action if there is evidence of a foreign object in the airway.

If there are no pathological symptoms for more than 1 day, but the coin has not left the body, then you should not wait longer. It is better to visit a gastroenterologist, surgeon or other specialized specialist during the day, and then undergo an examination. For more details from Dr. Komarovsky on what to do if a child swallows a coin, see the video:

  • Regular cleaning of premises. Do not leave small objects on the floor that a child can put in his mouth, nose;
  • Creating a safe space for play. Actively moving kids find coins, other objects on the couch, in the closet, and so on. Optimize the nursery and toys in such a way as to avoid potential risks;
  • supervision. If the baby nevertheless got to a potentially unsafe object, swallowed it, then there are risks of the rapid formation of suffocation, due to which the child simply does not have time to signal a problem. You need to visit the room regularly to make sure everything is in order.