Accidentally swallowed gum. What happens if a child swallows gum and what to do in this case. Reasons for children swallowing various objects

Sealants 14.07.2020

Sealants

It would seem, what will happen terrible from swallowing chewing gum? We all accidentally or deliberately swallowed it in childhood. However, not everything is so simple and unambiguous. If a child swallows gum, the parent subconsciously worries and fears the consequences. Is this situation so harmless or, on the contrary, terrible?

Swallowed gum can cause serious health problems for your baby.

In childhood, adults scared us that if you swallow gum, it would not leave the body and stick to the walls of the stomach. Or it will be even worse - it will go down into the intestines and stick it together. Then you cannot do without surgical intervention. But this is a delusion.

What is included in modern chewing gum:

sweeteners;
flavors;
wax;
gum;
taste stabilizers;
dyes;
emulsifiers.

One chewing gum that is swallowed will be digested in the stomach without harm to health.

In the bouquet of chemical components there is nothing useful for the child's body, but there is also nothing particularly toxic. If a child swallows gum, then it is easily digested in the stomach under the influence of digestive enzymes and juices. The chewing gum will take 6 to 10 hours to process. In extreme cases, it will come out, after a day, in a natural way. The elastic cannot glue or damage anything along the way.

The child has swallowed some gum

In case of an allergic reaction, the child should be given an antihistamine and consult a doctor.

Diarrhea or constipation

After swallowing a large amount of gum, such consequences are to be expected. Large and dense chunks of gum interfere with bowel function and result in prolonged constipation. In different countries, cases have been recorded when children had to undergo surgery due to intestinal obstruction.

Diarrhea is also a common symptom of gum poisoning. Some of its components act on the intestines as a laxative, so they can provoke diarrhea, bloating and abdominal pain.

If your child has diarrhea after chewing gum, you should not give him fixative drugs. The elastic should leave the body faster. When the baby's condition does not improve, see a doctor.

Constipation or diarrhea caused by swallowed chewing gum requires immediate medical attention.

Parents' actions

What to do if a child swallows gum? You need to calm down and not give in to panic. Find out how many lozenges the baby has eaten - one, two or more. A pair of rubber bands is not dangerous, the baby will not feel any discomfort. They will be excreted in the feces and will not harm the body.

Have you eaten a whole pack or more? Then the state and behavior of the child needs control. If there were no symptoms during the day, the gum was digested. In the case of severe abdominal pain, abnormal stool, rash, difficulty breathing, you cannot do without a specialist examination.

Summary

Even regular chewing gum can have dire consequences. In addition to swallowing the product, the baby may accidentally inhale it into the airways, leading to suffocation. Do not leave children alone with dangerous objects and give chewing gum before 6 years old.

As a child, were you also frightened with all kinds of heavenly punishments, including painful death when you swallowed chewing gum? You have grown up, and now you are wondering if this is really harmful?
Let's deal with this - once and for all!

Chewing gum is meant to be chewed, obviously. But sometimes unpleasant accidents happen.
Perhaps you swallow it with a sip of water ... Or maybe you just had nowhere to spit it out!
And you may have heard stories of chewing gum remaining in your stomach for seven months, seven years, or some other absurdly long period.
The gum swallowing myths were super popular in your childhood, weren't they? Perhaps you still believe in the sad versions you heard in childhood of what will happen.

So what actually happens when you swallow chewing gum?

Gastroenterologist Lisa Ganjou, associate professor of medicine at Langon Medical Center at New York University, answered the question of what happens in your digestive system when you swallow gum (and is it bad).

In general, you can say that chewing gum passes through your digestive tract like any other food - but is not completely digested.
“If your digestive system can digest a tough steak, it can handle gum too,” explains Ganju. Acids and enzymes are really capable of dealing with it. The only subtle point is that the gum does not dissolve completely due to its chemical properties, and its residues are not absorbed in the small intestine. And, of course, there is no particular period of time during which it is "not digested".

So yes, it can actually come out naturally!
And no, it does not stick to the intestines and does not form a huge "stone" of gum. Even if it does not completely dissolve, says Ganju, it will simply be carried out along with other fecal masses, like, say, an unopened grain of popcorn. The only time swallowing gum might bother you is a chunk that's too big to pass through your esophagus, but it probably won't occur to you to swallow, and it is certainly difficult to swallow unnoticed!

The experts, however, advise against swallowing gum, but not for the reasons you thought you were.
“Chewing gum has absolutely no nutritional value. That is why it should not be swallowed, ”says Ganju. Plus, the whole point of gum is to chew it until the taste is lost and then spit it out. “The gum won't hurt you or kill you, but it's illogical to swallow it,” adds Ganju.
And do not swallow large volumes of gum - you can simply choke on them. But the same recommendations are true for any large piece of food.

This way, the gum will not remain in your stomach and will not kill you. But spitting it out is still worth it.
So why is this myth of irreparable consequences so popular? Apparently, this is just a misunderstanding of the fact that gum is not completely digested. But the fact that it is not digested or absorbed does NOT mean that it remains inside you! “It's akin to the myth that you will grow an apple tree inside if you swallow an apple seed,” says Ganju. There are many myths about health, and some of them are difficult to dispel.

In addition, artists often find better uses for chewed gum. Take Douglas Copeland's Gum Head, for example.

Welcome to the pages of my blog!

Chewing gum is one of the favorite treats for children. But kids sometimes forget that this is not candy, and gum should not be swallowed. Of course, if this happened, there would be no big catastrophe.

But parents are seriously worried: if a child swallows gum, the consequences of this action can affect the health of the digestive tract. Is it so?

By itself, chewing gum does not represent any value for health. Even if manufacturers are vying to extol their taste and try to present chewing gum as a salvation from tooth decay, in reality this is not at all the case.

In order for a child to be able to give this delicacy, two conditions are necessary: \u200b\u200bteeth and an understanding that the product cannot be swallowed. But the understanding that chewing gum cannot be swallowed does not come earlier than at the age of 3.

But not always at this age, the baby can follow his actions. Is it dangerous to swallow gum?

Effects

Depending on what kind of gum the child swallowed, and how it behaves in the stomach, the following consequences can be foreseen:

Poisoning

The delicacy contains wax, gum, thickeners, flavors, stabilizers - you must agree that this is not the best product for a child. Adult gum is considered especially harmful. Once in the stomach, the gum decomposes and releases toxic substances.

In some cases, it may not decompose and leave the body with vomit or feces. This is the best outcome of the incident, as the intoxication decreases. However, do not worry: for the poisoning to be strong, you need to swallow it near a pack of gum.

Allergic reaction

We all remember what an attractive smell, and sometimes the color of gum. Manufacturers get a similar effect from chemicals.

If crumbs enter the body, they can cause an allergic reaction. Signs of an incipient allergy can be a rash, abdominal cramps, heartburn, diarrhea, belching.

Diarrhea

Even if the crumb spat out the gum, but he has bloating, loose stools, you should think about how to stop feeding the child with dubious treats.

The chewing candy contains a sweetener that has a laxative effect. Be sure to follow the color of the stool: if it turns black, see your doctor.

Constipation

The opposite of the previous and even more dangerous situation. Constipation occurs when a lump of rubber gets stuck in the intestines or anus. This situation is dangerous with intestinal obstruction.

Lump jam

If, in addition to chewing gum, a child regularly swallows the peel from seeds, bites nails, swallows fruits with small seeds, these waste products stick together in the intestines. A lump forms, preventing the passage of food and feces.

As you can see, chewing gum may not be dangerous, but in combination with other factors, it can lead to surgery.

How to proceed?

What if the chewing gum still went into the stomach? We act according to the symptoms that have arisen:

At the first sign of poisoning, try to induce vomiting. To do this, give your child plenty of boiled water to drink, then put your fingers in his mouth. It's good if the gum comes out with the water.
In case of increased diarrhea and gas formation, monitor the stool: its color and quantity. If the diarrhea persists during the day, the unpleasant symptoms worsen, and the stools turn black, go to the hospital immediately.
For allergies, you can give an antihistamine and an enterosorbent: Enterosgel, activated carbon or Smecta.
For constipation, give your baby a teaspoon of vegetable oil.

Watch how the baby behaves. If he is calm and does not feel unwell, the product will soon leave the digestive tract.

If a child has swallowed a foreign object, Dr. Komarovsky advises parents to induce vomiting in the baby. But if the object does not come out or causes pain and discomfort to the baby, you must definitely call an ambulance.

And remember, dear readers: adults need chewing gum to make their breath fresh after eating, smoking or alcohol. Children don't need it at all. It is better to brush your teeth again with a brush and toothpaste after eating.

See you soon, on my blog!

In one of the previous articles, we already talked about that, and the answer turned out to be disappointing. Today we will try to answer the question of what will happen if you swallow gum and what to do in this situation. In the process of addressing this issue, we will also debunk several common myths about swallowed gum.

Let's try to figure out what will happen if you swallow gum. It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to this question, because something from the following list can happen:

Food poisoning.
Allergy attack.
Diarrhea.
Constipation.
Nothing will happen.

In order not to violate the order of the items, first we will discuss what might happen if you swallow gum, starting with the first item on our list.

When does swallowed gum cause food poisoning?

Food poisoning occurs when you swallow poor quality gum, which is made up of toxic and poisonous ingredients. Unfortunately, similar gum exists to this day, and all over the world. It is not even a matter of clandestine counterfeiting industries, because even completely legal enterprises for the production of chewing gums supply chewing gum with toxic substances to the shelves.

Unfortunately, it is very difficult for laymen to point out bad gum, so you should not swallow any brand of gum.

What if I swallowed chewing gum of unknown content? First you need to induce vomiting and see if you can get rid of low-quality gum in this way. If it works out, you need to observe the reaction of the body and decide according to the circumstances, if it doesn't help, go to the hospital, let them decide how to help.

Cases in which swallowing chewing gum leads to an allergy attack

In some cases, an allergy can also appear from one gum, but it is much more likely that the body will inadequately respond to a large number of swallowed gum. Do not think that this will not happen, because children and adults often do not understand the dangers of chewing gum. Often it is swallowed on a dispute or simply through negligence.

What to do if you swallow an allergenic gum? If, after a child or adult has swallowed the gum, he begins to show signs of allergies, an anti-allergic drug should be taken and an attempt to remove the gum by vomiting. Also, find out how much gum has been swallowed so you know if there is anything left in the body.

If you managed to get rid of the gum on your own, then make sure that the victim does not subsequently develop an allergy. If the gum did not come out or there was a lot of it, it is worth going to the hospital, because it is likely that you cannot do without professional help.

Diarrhea attack

To get yourself diarrhea, you will need to chew several packs of gum in a day. If you swallow gum, you will need much less.

Since this fact raises doubts among many people, because they once swallowed more than a dozen chewing gum (often at different times), we present data from the famous English medical publication "The Lancet".

“Each gum always contains some kind of sweetener (xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol or lures), which is also a laxative. That is why the ingestion of large amounts of any of them triggers diarrhea, in rare cases - stomach pain or flatulence. It should be noted that there are other symptoms as well. "

In the same publication, a slightly different case was described when a boy chewed about ten packs of gum in a day, after which his heart rate doubled - up to 147 beats per minute, going to the toilet became more frequent and excessive aggression appeared. All of this was due to the small dose of caffeine in each bubblegum pad.

Probably, when swallowing, you can also achieve such serious consequences, because if a child swallows several chewing gum, the level of his excitement will noticeably jump, the heart rate will accelerate, and then according to the known scenario.

In the event that the swallowed chewing gum causes diarrhea, you should get rid of the gum and drink plenty of liquid (compote, water).

Constipation

How long does chewing gum take? If a small portion is swallowed, the digestion process will take six to ten hours or slightly longer. What happens if you swallow gum the size of a tennis ball?

You say - this does not happen? If you believe the publication in the journal "Pediatrics", this happens. By the way, it is not necessary to swallow the whole lump at once, it is possible and gradually - plate by plate. Apparently, this is what two four-year-old children did, from whose rectum after prolonged constipation large lumps of gum were extracted. So, it is better to be on the alert and see a doctor immediately, even if you suspect.

Nothing will happen

In the most common case, after swallowing the gum, no abnormalities will be noticed. This option is possible if only one gum without harmful components is swallowed. It will come out easily after a while.

Still, you should not swallow gum, because there are too many components that are not fully studied, which can bring negative consequences, albeit invisible.

A small child is such a restless creature that constantly requires the attention and vigilant control of mom, dad and grandmother. As soon as the baby has learned to crawl, and then walk, he begins to learn about the world, various objects. And it's good if he just took a book, a spoon or any other object to play. But little children love to try different things. And sometimes my mother, not seeing how her miracle swallowed the battery or the part of the designer, cannot understand why he suddenly felt bad, and where this terrible cough came from.

The baby's desire to taste everything is nothing more than a natural reaction to the outside world, a craving to explore the surrounding things with the help of taste buds. But often, the matter does not end with one licking and an attempt to chew on the investigated little thing. As a rule, the last stage of acquaintance with an object is swallowing it. What to do in such a situation, what to do in the first place, and what absolutely cannot be done? All this in our today's article.

Select the desired item:

What to do if a child swallows a foreign part - table

The eaten thing can leave the body by itself. But since this is rare, you should not sit over the child and wait for this moment. You need to immediately provide first aid to prevent dangerous consequences.

Each swallowed item can behave differently in the body. In addition, the algorithm of actions is also different. For example, if a baby swallows a button (streamlined smooth object), it can come out on its own. Larger and more dangerous (needle, magnet, battery) objects can linger in the digestive tract and cause trouble. In this case, it is necessary to call a doctor or deliver the baby to a medical facility.

And since the swallowed products behave differently in the child's body and their traumatic effect is also different, the first aid algorithm will also be different. More details about first aid in the table.

Thing	Signs	What to do
Magnet Magnetic ball	If the baby has swallowed a part, and you have not seen it, you can suspect something was wrong by the appearance of a runny nose, cough, pain in the abdomen.	You cannot induce vomiting yourself, give food. The first thing to do is call a doctor. Untimely access to a doctor is fraught with disastrous consequences. A sharp-edged magnet can injure the gastrointestinal mucosa. If there are several swallowed magnets, they can attract each other, seriously injuring the intestines.
Polyurethane foam	Abdominal pain may occur.	Foam can harden in the intestines and create an insurmountable barrier to the movement of feces. In this case, it is necessary to show the baby to the doctor. The sooner the object is removed, the faster the baby's condition will normalize.
Battery	The object may get stuck in the throat. In this case, the appearance of coughing, choking is possible. In addition, it is possible to change the chair. The stool will turn greenish or black. Increased body temperature, vomiting and loss of consciousness are often noted.	If the baby begins to choke, it is necessary to induce vomiting. Next, you need to call an ambulance or take the child to the hospital.
Drawing pin A piece of glass Metal products with uneven edges	It is accompanied by active salivation, coughing, choking, facial flushing, hiccups, vomiting, blood in the stool.	Call a doctor immediately. It is equally important to examine your baby's mouth for debris. It is impossible to extract the debris that are localized in the region of the palatine-lingual arch.
Gum	One chewing gum that is swallowed is usually asymptomatic. If the child has swallowed several gum, it may cause abdominal pain, constipation, or diarrhea.	One swallowed gum is not dangerous for the baby. If he "ate" a lot of chewing gum, it is necessary to observe for a while. If deviations appear, you must make an appointment with a doctor.
Coin	The appearance of anxiety, irritability, tearfulness is noted. In addition, regurgitation, shortness of breath, cough, and increased salivation may occur.	If your baby's condition worsens due to a swallowed coin, see a doctor immediately.
Button	Symptoms are often absent.	You don't need to stuff your baby with laxatives or induce vomiting. If the baby's condition is normal, wait, the button will come out along with the feces. If the child's behavior changes, see a doctor.
Bolt Metal ball	It is accompanied by hiccups, drooling, irritability, soreness in the abdomen.	It is necessary to take the baby to the hospital. There he should be until a foreign object comes out with feces.
Needle	When such objects enter the digestive system, profuse salivation, coughing, anxiety, sweating, and an increase in temperature are noted.	Call a doctor immediately or take your little patient to the hospital. Do not allow the child to move a lot (this is fraught with moving a sharp object into soft tissues). It is contraindicated to give laxatives, induce vomiting or shake the baby.
Mercury	The appearance of malaise, high fever, headache, increased salivation, pain in the abdomen, diarrhea is noted.	In this case, the threat is not the balls of mercury themselves, but its vapor. Inhalation of vapors is fraught with damage to the central nervous system, kidneys and lungs. In such a situation, delay is contraindicated. You need to quickly call an ambulance. Parents, while the ambulance is traveling, needs to cause the baby to vomit.
Medication (tablet, capsule)	The first manifestations will appear after the substances begin to be absorbed into the blood. Symptoms will depend on which drug was swallowed. Perhaps the appearance of irritability, seizures, fainting, nausea and vomiting, an increase in temperature.	The first thing to do is call an ambulance. Before her arrival, it is necessary to flush the stomach, induce vomiting, and then give several tablets of an activated or other sorbent
Hydrogel Silica gel	The ingestion of such chemicals in the stomach is fraught with severe intoxication.	It is necessary to call a doctor, rinse the stomach and give an absorbent to drink.
Foil	The appearance of lethargy, irritability, malaise is noted	You need to call a doctor. Before the arrival of the doctor, it is forbidden to induce vomiting, to feed or drink, to give laxative drugs.
Plasticine	The appearance of lethargy, moodiness is observed. Allergic manifestations (rashes) are possible.	A small piece of plasticine is harmless. If a large piece gets into the digestive tract, it is fraught with intestinal obstruction. It is necessary to take the child to the doctor.
Cotton wool	As a rule, it is not accompanied by any symptoms.	Observe the child's behavior and condition. Call a doctor if necessary.
Plastic products	If the swallowed object is small and without sharp edges, symptoms may not appear. If a piece of plastic is swallowed, malaise, abdominal pain, tearfulness, blood in the feces may occur.	Observe the small patient's stool. If any suspicious signs appear, take him to the hospital.
Tooth	There are no symptoms.	Often, once a tooth enters the digestive tract, it leaves the body naturally. Do not induce vomiting. If the child's behavior changes, or if the condition worsens, go to the hospital.
Fruit seed	Perhaps the appearance of pain in the epigastrium, blood in the stool.	As a rule, the pits from the fruit come out along with the feces. If this does not happen, see your doctor.
Fish bone	The appearance of coughing, choking, salivation is noted.	The child needs to be taken to the hospital.

The following items are most dangerous if swallowed:

Large in size. This is fraught with intestinal obstruction due to clogging of it with a foreign body.
Sharp and stabbing edges. Getting into the digestive tract of such objects is fraught with puncture of the walls of the stomach or intestines, which will necessitate an operation.
Small pill-shaped batteries. Inside such products there is an electrode, which in the esophagus or stomach can discharge and injure organs.

Reasons for children swallowing various objects

Foreign bodies in children's abdomens are more often than in adults, appendicitis is operated on or CVS pathologies are diagnosed, in particular a heart attack. According to statistics, one in five children in the world swallows something that is clearly unsuitable for food. Every parent needs to be as vigilant as possible so that a little alien thing does not cause big trouble.

So why is the baby constantly pulling everything he sees into his mouth? The main thing is to understand a simple truth, the child is not to blame for accidentally swallowing a ring or a button. In childhood, there are several objective physiological reasons why children swallow all sorts of unnecessary things. The main thing is not to blame him and in no case scold him. All you need to do if you see that your child has "had breakfast" with a pen cap is to help him and call a doctor.

The main reasons for knowing everything around us through swallowing include:

lack of an adequate assessment of the physical parameters of objects. Baby does not understand that the thing is spicy, hot, hardening, or at least inedible;
lack of self-preservation instinct. It doesn't cost a kid anything to pull into his mouth an object that only by its appearance repels an adult;
lack of negative experience. The program "do not put in your mouth kaku" is not laid down at the genetic level. The kid needs to feel the problem in practice. Only in this way will he be able to understand that this cannot be done, otherwise his stomach will hurt and an unfamiliar uncle in a white coat will come.

Even if there was already a sad experience, the baby could simply not learn it. In other words, several similar situations are necessary in order to develop the reflex "to take in the mouth, gnaw, lick it is impossible"

lack of proper communications. Young children cannot yet share negative experiences, they are not able to discuss different situations, in particular those that happened to them. In other words, the child cannot tell that he had swallowed a part of the constructor, his mother panicked and called the doctors, who came and began to scold.

In general, children still do not realize the seriousness of the situation, they do not know what it is fraught with. You, on the other hand, just need to provide first aid and go to the doctor so that nothing bad happens to your baby.

What age children are more likely to face the problem?

Toddlers can pull an object into their mouth as soon as they can reach it. This means that the "starting point" when mom and dad need to be especially vigilant is the seventh or eighth month of life. That is, when the child begins to crawl and in every possible way tries to reach the unknown.

At this time, small things seem to be created so that parents are constantly in tension. Since the baby's vision in the first year of life is imperfect, and he is just learning to focus it, first of all he will fix his gaze on something bright and small that will be in his path.

Sometimes new mothers are saved by the fact that, due to inadequate vision, the child may simply not see a dangerous object nearby, even if it is very close. But in no case is it worth hoping that the child will not notice the dangerous thing.

According to statistics, most often children swallow foreign parts between the ages of one and three. During this period, they become more nimble, many are already taking their first steps, which means that the reach of the "toy", which must be tried without fail, is increasing.

Parents should always be on their guard. It should be understood that the age of little "swallowers" is not limited to either three or six years. Then the age of various experiments will begin, when children on purpose or deliberately can try an inedible thing. This is especially true for those who go to kindergarten or have many friends, and subconsciously try to boast to the rest of their achievements.

A school-age child, even while at home, studying homework, may inadvertently swallow an object that has just been pounding in his mouth before. And there are many such examples. Therefore, parents should always be on their guard, even if the child is already 7 years old.

How to tell if a child has eaten something inedible

The fact that the baby has swallowed a small part, be it a bead, coin or nut, often goes unnoticed. Mom can find out about this by chance when the eaten object comes out along with the feces. And it's good if everything ends like this. But, more often than not, everything happens a little differently.

And only an attentive parent can suspect something was wrong. It should be alarming that the child suddenly became whiny, his behavior changed dramatically. In this case, the baby may feel guilty, which is why he stops behaving the way he usually does.

In this case, you should try to talk to him and try to find out if he accidentally swallowed the "colored candy". Moreover, the conversation should be calm, the tone should be gentle. Believe me, you will not achieve anything by shouting, the child will close in himself, and in every possible way will refuse to make contact. Even if he feels bad, he will tolerate her, but he will not tell you anything.

If the child is still very young and is not able to tell you what happened, you can understand what happened to him by the following signs. Often, a foreign body entering the child's digestive tract (especially if it is more than 1 cm) manifests itself immediately and is usually accompanied by the following symptoms:

sharp sudden choking;
crying;
increased salivation;
belching;
nausea and vomiting;
changes in the characteristics of feces, for example, the appearance of mucus in them;
violation of behavior;
loss of consciousness (in rare cases);
paleness;
loss of appetite;
an increase in temperature.

Most often, children swallow foreign objects that do not exceed the diameter of the esophagus, and therefore the entire gastrointestinal tract, and this, in turn, means that the part can come out naturally. Sometimes, due to a delay in the folds of the gastrointestinal tract, the object does not come out with the feces.

In this case, you must take the child to the hospital. Do not hesitate to visit a specialist, this is fraught with disastrous consequences.

What actions are contraindicated

In a panic, we can, albeit unconsciously, but exacerbate the situation. In order not to harm the baby even more, each parent should know what absolutely should not be done if the child has swallowed something inedible.

1. In no case shake the baby, do not beat him on the back, do not turn him upside down (in the hope that the object will fall out). Such actions are fraught with the deployment of the object in a narrow place, displacement into the respiratory tract, injury to the gastrointestinal mucosa.

2. Do not force your toddler to eat a crust of bread if he chokes on a fish bone. This is fraught with injury to the esophageal mucosa.

Do not reach for a product that has been swallowed by yourself, either with your fingers or with tweezers. This should be done by a doctor using sterile instruments.

3. If your toddler has a cough or begins to choke, and the ambulance has not arrived yet, place him on your knee face down. In this case, the upper half of the body should be lowered. Tap lightly between your shoulder blades with your fingers.

Chewing gum is a sweetness that kids love. The child likes it because of the pleasant smell, and because of the taste, and because of the unusual viscous consistency. Often times, chewing gum is not only a treat, but also a toy, which worries parents. The kid can choke on gum, choke or accidentally swallow it. It is worth figuring out what needs to be done in such situations and whether it is dangerous for the child's body.

What are the dangers of swallowing chewing gum?

The gum contains components that are partially digested in the stomach. And what has not been split is sent through the digestive tract and comes out naturally. It is not worth worrying about a child who accidentally swallowed sweetness, since the incident will not affect either his well-being or health. The body will need a longer amount of time to remove the chewing mass, but this will happen without harm to the internal organs.

Raising panic is rational in two cases:

If your baby has swallowed a large amount of gum. For example, more than one pack.
If he has diseases of the digestive tract or individual intolerance to the components.

It is worth worrying if the person who swallowed the gum suffers from diverticulitis, which causes a narrowing of the intestines, or Crohn's disease. In this case, the chewing gum will clog up narrow areas, which is fraught with the appearance of discomfort, constipation, and spasms.

So, what happens if you swallow a lot of gum? It should be noted that these symptoms are rare. And only in cases where the kid has eaten several chewing plates. Possible consequences await a child who swallows a very large amount of gum:

Food poisoning caused by swallowing chewing gum is only possible if the product is of poor quality. Manufacturers may use harmful substitutes, unknown food additives and other ingredients of little known origin. At the moment, the number of companies producing such chewing gum has been minimized. However, you should give preference to buying sweets from well-known companies.

What to do if a child swallows gum?

If a baby accidentally swallows gum, only the doctor will advise what to do. You should not hope that the mass will be excreted by the body on its own. In this case, an appointment with a doctor is vital. Parents should keep the chewing gum away from the infant, as young children swallow the gum right away with a pleasant aroma and sweet taste.

What to do if a baby swallowed gum:

For bouts of diarrhea, give medicine.
For allergic attacks - lubricate skin redness with special creams.
For constipation - do an enema as directed by a doctor.
In case of nausea - give more water to drink, do not stop vomiting.

As mentioned above, if a child swallows gum, then it will come out naturally... You should only worry if the baby has eaten a whole pack or several packs. This is very dangerous for human health, especially if he is young. An urgent doctor's consultation and monitoring of the child's condition is required.

The main thing that a parent should do in such a situation is to make every effort to normalize the work of a young organism. It is advisable to drink more water and eat more foods high in fiber - cereals, vegetables, legumes. The doctor will give more detailed recommendations depending on the specific situation and the baby's well-being.

Precautions

To avoid such incidents, you must adhere to the following rules:

Parents should not neglect the precautions if the baby ate chewing gum. Even if there is a small amount of sweetness in the stomach, it is imperative to monitor the condition and well-being of children. There is no need to do something specific - it is important to make sure that baby feels good... It is also advisable to make sure that the mass has left his body.

Chewing gum is a delicacy made from an inedible base, richly flavored with flavoring and aromatic additives, food colors. Dentists recommend using sugar-free gum every time you eat if there is no other way to brush your teeth and rinse your mouth.

The viscous substance helps to remove food particles stuck between the teeth and prevents the formation of plaque.

It is also one of the favorite treats for children. Chewing gum is produced of whatever tastes, shapes and sizes: in balls, plates, ribbons, inside caramel, all kinds of geometric shapes. Adults prefer chewing gum with refreshing flavors; children are more likely to choose fruit and berry gums.

Read also:

This treat should not be swallowed. Taking a fresh plate, you can chew it for no more than 10 minutes, and then discard it. During this time, the product will fulfill its hygienic properties and lose its taste. Discarded gum in a hot climate will decompose for at least three decades, and in a cold climate it can lie for centuries. If the substance is so resistant to degradation, what happens to the gum if it is swallowed by a child or adult?

To discourage children from this delicacy, adults invent various horror stories, such as “Swallow the gum, and it will always be inside you! The intestines will stick together, and the stomach will hurt! " Is it true? Is an accidentally swallowed lump really so dangerous to health?

Once the chewing gum enters our mouth, the body takes various measures to digest it. First, saliva is used with its digestive enzymes. Then, if the gum was swallowed, gastric digestive juices are turned on. With those substances with which the body can not cope, it usually part, that is, looking for ways to excrete them. After numerous tests, it was found that the rubber lump will be completely excreted from the body in 24-48 hours.

Seems to be no problem. However, doctors do not recommend chewing gum frequently. Since it can accumulate and subsequently make it difficult to defecate. Watch how the child eats gum, and if he accidentally swallows it, then you need to do the following:

you can try to induce vomiting so that the chewing lump comes out. Be careful here so that the child does not choke;
let the baby drink more, this will speed up metabolic processes and contribute to the quickest removal of a foreign body from the body;
improves the functioning of the digestive tract, plant fiber, which is abundant in vegetables and fruits;
if no measures have led to a positive result, go to the hospital, experts will suggest the right decision.

Although it is argued that accidentally swallowed chewing gum will not be harmful to health, and after a certain period it will be excreted from the body naturally, there are still negative consequences of this negligence. Children are more likely to have atypical reactions, since their bodies are not as strong as in adults.

The rubber band may not get into the esophagus, but into the respiratory tract, and the baby will simply choke. You need to cough well, provoke the gum spitting out back. The child should be tilted face down and a good knock between the shoulder blades. It is not recommended to independently remove a foreign body from the larynx. In extremely severe cases, call an ambulance immediately.
Food poisoning can be triggered by toxic substances found in low-grade chewing gum. Therefore, be attentive to those sweets that you give to children. If you are buying chewing gum for your child, take the one that says "for children." In case of poisoning, you need to induce vomiting, rinse the stomach, take the little patient to the hospital.
Constipation or diarrhea. Such consequences are extremely rare if only one gum is swallowed, and then by accident. But if the child does this systematically, then such stomach upsets can be observed. The composition of the sweets includes various food additives, which in large quantities can provoke an attack of diarrhea (weakening of intestinal functions). At the same time, each organism has its own reaction, causing diarrhea in some, and constipation in others. Diet food, plenty of liquid (water, unsweetened compote), targeted medicines are recommended.
An allergic reaction can occur not only due to swallowing, but also during chewing. This can be explained very simply: the product most likely contained allergenic substances for a particular organism. Allergic reactions can be very different: from skin rashes and itching to throat swelling. Antihistamines and the maximum removal from pathogens will help to solve the problem.

😉 Greetings, dear readers and visitors of the site! The child swallowed gum. Is it dangerous for his health and what to do if such a nuisance happened.

Chewing gum composition

Oddly enough, but this piece is a confection, only inedible. Consists of an elastic base - synthetic polymers, which is covered with flavoring and aromatic fillers.

In the process of chewing and resorption, all tasty food additives dissolve, only the base remains. It has fulfilled its function, it must be thrown away. It is important to remember that the "gum" is chewed after meals and no more than 7 minutes.

Any parent is seized with panic that their child has swallowed chewing gum. But there is no need to arrange a tragedy on this matter. Everyone knows that young children love to pull everything attractive into their mouths. And chewing gum, besides its tempting shape, has an appetizing smell and taste.

What to do if a child swallows gum

In most cases, adult anxiety is based on fictional stories that gum can stick to the walls of the intestines or stomach. And its extraction is available only through surgery. But such horrible stories have nothing to do with reality.

Initially, you need to know that the acidic environment of the stomach is so strong that it can easily cope with any type of gum in a few hours. But still, there are unpleasant consequences that can be expected by little fidgets when swallowing large quantities of dumplings.

Poisoning is possible, but not because of the gum, but its composition. Indeed, in the manufacture of this delicacy, ingredients are used: wax, thickeners, gum and others. And when they enter the stomach, they decompose, and toxic substances are released into the body. At the first sign of intoxication, try to induce a gag reflex in your child.

To do this, the baby needs to drink a lot of boiled water. Then use your fingers to induce vomiting. The gum should come out with the water you drink. But basically, this sweetness is completely released at the same time in vomit or feces.

An important point

In case of an existing intolerance to one of the components, an allergic reaction is possible. With the appearance of a rash, heartburn, abdominal pain, belching or diarrhea, we can talk about an incipient allergy in a child. If possible, give your baby an antihistamine or enterosorbent (for example).

Diarrhea is also a result of consuming such a product. After all, any gummy candy has a sweetener, which in turn has a laxative effect.

If the baby has loose stools or bloating, this indicates an upset stomach. Watch closely for gas formation and feces color. If the unpleasant symptoms do not subside, and the feces acquire a rich black color, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Constipation can be another consequence of a baby eating gum. This is due to the fact that a lump of chewing gum gets stuck in the anus. In this case, try giving your baby a small spoonful of natural oil.

When it enters digestion, the permeability of feces increases and congestion in the intestines is eliminated. But if this does not help, you need to see a doctor.

This situation is considered more dangerous and may result in intestinal obstruction. Very rarely, but such cases do occur with negative consequences. Therefore, try to give your baby as much attention as possible and watch what he eats.

There are times when chewing gum gets into the airways. At best, the baby clears his throat on his own.

If your baby continues to cough, help him. Tilt your baby's head forward. Then make a few slaps on your upper back with the base of your hand. If the foreign object does not come out, you need to call an ambulance.

So what can happen:

Poisoning (low quality product, toxic substances, dyes).
Allergy attack.
Diarrhea.
Ingestion of a foreign object in the respiratory tract.
Constipation lasting 6-10 hours.
Nothing will happen if this gum is free of harmful components.

Chewing gum: benefits and harms

Pros:

cleans teeth;
freshens breath;
strengthens the jaw;
restores alkaline balance in the mouth;
when chewing, the gums are massaged (prevention of periodontal disease).

Minuses

if you use "gum" on an empty stomach, the body reflex occurs. The digestive system begins secreting stomach acid in preparation for digesting food. Food does not flow and gastric juice begins to eat away at the walls of the stomach. Diseases appear - gastritis or ulcers;
some ingredients (such as sorbitol) have a laxative effect;
experts do not recommend giving gum to children under 6 years of age.

Video

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So what actually happens when you swallow chewing gum?

The experts, however, advise against swallowing gum, but not for the reasons you thought you were.
“Chewing gum has absolutely no nutritional value. That is why it should not be swallowed, ”says Ganju. Plus, the whole point of gum is to chew it until the taste is lost and then spit it out. “The gum won't hurt you or kill you, but it's illogical to swallow it,” adds Ganju.
And do not swallow large volumes of gum - you can simply choke on them. But the same recommendations are true for any large piece of food.