Babies and young children explore the world around them by putting things in their mouths. Whilst most of this exploration is healthy, some things can cause long-lasting damage if swallowed.
In this post, we cover why children swallow the weirdest things, why it can be dangerous and what items to watch out for. Plus, we share our top tips for keeping children safe.
Why do they do it?
We’ve all been there: you turn your back for a second and suddenly your toddler has something gross in their mouth. Dirt, old crumbs, or play dough. Everything is fair game. But why do they do it?
Natural development
Babies and toddlers naturally put everything in their mouths. It’s a normal developmental stage they all go through. But it means anything they can reach is at risk of going into their mouth.
Curiosity
Young children are curious and explore the world around them by using their mouths. They aren’t being ‘naughty’ when they swallow objects. It happens by accident.
Imitation
Small children love to watch and copy what they see. If they watch you take some tablets every morning, they’ll want to join in too.
Lookalikes
Accidentally drinking or swallowing something that looks like food or drink is common. Think brightly coloured cleaning products and tablets or washing pods that look like sweets.
Accidents
While they’re less likely to intentionally swallow dangerous objects, older children may pop something in their mouth to hold it or free up their hands and accidentally swallow it.
Neurodivergence
Neurodivergent children may put things in their mouths to calm themselves when stressed or manage sensory overload.
Pica
Older children with autism spectrum disorder or learning difficulties may also eat non-food items. The medical term for this is pica.
Why is this so dangerous?
Whilst most of this exploration is healthy and good for their development, some things can cause devastating injuries.
Choking
Young children have narrow airways that are more easily blocked. Anything smaller than a 2 pence piece can choke a young child. That’s why it’s so important to keep any small parts out of reach. Think small bits of toys, coins, buttons and balloons.
Poisoning
Unfortunately, things that make our lives easier can be harmful to small children. Due to their small size and the way their bodies process poisons, it doesn’t take much to have life-changing consequences.
Internal damage
While some objects will pass naturally through the body, others can get stuck in a child’s food pipe, stomach or intestines. This can cause devastating internal injuries, such as chemical burns or blockages, and may require major surgery.
What are some of the biggest dangers to look out for?
Button batteries
Button batteries power lots of items in our homes. But they can badly hurt or kill a small child. If they swallow one and it gets stuck in their food pipe it can burn through the tissue and cause life-altering injuries or death.
New safety features on button batteries and packaging are a big help in protecting children from swallowing button batteries. But not all brands of batteries have them. And, even if they do, it’s still essential to keep them away from young children.
Cleaning products
The products we use to clean our homes are helpful to us, but can be harmful for small children. Think about where you store your cleaning products. Are they by the loo or under the kitchen sink? Make sure they’re in a high cupboard out of reach. This is especially important if you have a little one who has just started crawling or will be on the move soon.
Garden chemicals
When you’re gardening, please remember that accidental poisoning can happen in an instant, even if you’re there but have been distracted momentarily. So, keep garden chemicals such as weed killer and fertiliser out of reach of young children. And, always keep them in their original containers. Don’t be tempted to transfer them to food jars or drinks bottles.
Magnets
While magnets can be great fun, they can rip through a child’s gut if they swallow them, causing life-threatening injuries. The magnets can stick together inside the body and cut off the blood supply, causing tissue to die. Avoid small loose magnets if you have little ones at home. And teach older children about the risks.
Medicines
Did you know everyday painkillers are the most common way for young children to be poisoned? That’s why it’s so important to keep all medicines out of reach and sight of young children, ideally in a high-up or lockable cupboard. Tablets kept in handbags are a particular risk as they’re often forgotten about and left on the floor in reach of curious children.
Small parts
When you think about choking risks you probably think about food. But in reality, a large share of choking incidents in young children involve objects that were never meant to go in a mouth in the first place. Balloons, coins, small parts of toys and anything else smaller than a 2p coin can choke a young child.
Washing pods
Small children can mistake brightly coloured washing pods for sweets or toys. But the concentrated chemicals can do serious damage to children’s insides, skin and eyes. While it’s tempting to keep products beside the washing machine, they’re much safer up high or in a lockable cupboard.
Water beads
Water beads are small and can easily be swallowed without detection. As they bathe in stomach fluids, they expand to many times their original size, posing a serious risk of blockage in a child’s bowel. That’s why they are not recommended for under 5s.
How can I stop my child from swallowing things that may be harmful?
Try to keep the most dangerous things out of their reach. You can also:
- Opt for child-resistant packaging – but remember it’s not completely child-proof.
- Look for products with a bittering agent like Bitrex – it tastes so horrible children will spit it out instead of swallowing. It’s in some cleaning products and on some washing pods and button batteries.
- Before letting your child play with something, check any button batteries are secured and there are no small parts they might choke on.
- Take care when buying toys, especially for children under three. Look for brand names you know. And remember that toys from markets, small discount stores and unknown sellers on online marketplaces may not meet our safety standards.
- Teach older children not to put anything in their mouth and to keep potentially dangerous objects away from younger brothers or sisters.
