Stick-in accidents

When Ashley said, ‘Hi bub. Cad I go play wit Bary?’, the mother immediately knew there was a problem, because she did not have a cold. Checking her up, she saw something white stuck up her nose. No wonder Ashley could not pronounce the ‘M’s and the ‘N’s. End of story is the doctor manoeuvred the Ashley’s mum’s necklace’s bead from Ashley’s nose. Ashley got a thorough reprimand and no longer plays with items that are small enough to enter any of her openings.

From when your child is nine months old, he has a good grip on objects. Within no time, they are poked inside his or another child’s, nose, mouth, eye or ear. The objects include dirt and even insects. If not detected early they may cause harm like choking or serious infections. Here is how to spot and recover the stuck objects before they cause a lot of damage:

The nose
Your child is likely to show either of the following signs:

» Bleed from the nose
» Have bad breath due to smelly discharge from the nose that has the stuck object
» Itch or complaint of a feeling of fullness

Remedy
Ask the child to close his mouth and breathe out strongly. You could also apply pressure to his other nostril and the mouth at a go, then let him breathe out.

The ear
Your child is likely to have:

» Extra wax discharge from the ear
» An earache
» Reduced or no hearing on the side that the object is stuck

Remedy

If it is an insect, tilt your child’s head with the infested ear facing upwards. Then put drops of warm baby oil or olive oil in the ear. After that straighten the head and gently lug his earlobe backward and downward. By doing this the insect will be suffocated then float out.

If it is any other object, tilt your child’s head with the ear that has the object facing downward. Then gently tug at the earlobe in the up and back motion. Do not use a sharp tool or a cotton swab to remove the object as these may push the object further inside. Metal objects can be removed from the nose or ears with the help of a magnet. But if there are items lodged deep in the ear canal, seek urgent medical help as there is a possibility of damaging the eardrum.

The eye
He may have:
» Pain, especially when he looks at a light
» Teary eyes and excessive blinking or rubbing the eye
» Swollen red (bloodshot) eyes and vision problems

Remedy
Small particles such as those lodged by the wind may be removable through blinking and the tears will float the object.

If it is something that still lingers, gently lift the eyelid and flush him with a solution for eyewash or clean water. Then let him rest on the side of the eye that is being flushed for at least five minutes, so that it floats out the grittiness until it disappears. If it does not, seek medical advice.

Avoiding stick-in accidents

Monitor small children while at play.
Keep out of reach the shiny objects such as coins and small items that may easily be inserted. Also keep off glitters, or beadwork which can easily be plucked and swallowed.

If you have to give your child a sweet, make sure it is a lollipop. The stick makes the child relish the sweet slowly minimizing the possibilities of choking.

Check the floor for beads, pieces of jewellery, dried peas and other small objects before you place your child down to play.

Let the older children know that that the baby’s ears and nose are delicate and they should not poke things into them.

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