DD 3 inhaled cracker as she started to cry

[luci898]

Hi,

As the title says—I really don’t know whether I need to take her anywhere.

My 3yo DD was eating a cracker before bedtime. She started to cry while it was all crunched up in her mouth and inhaled it. Each time she went to take another breath she inhaled more. I was trying to calm her down and hold her bending forwards.

She continued to continuously cough for about 15 minutes following while I was giving her back blows. Quite deep dry coughing every minute. She said her throat was hurting and kept holding it. I told my partner I think we are going to have to take her to the local A&E & kept her sat upright and was giving her sips of water. She hasn’t coughed since (it’s been about 40 minutes) and has just gone to sleep. She was drinking water fine afterwards then read a bedtime story and was singing running round with her teddy etc.

I'm really unsure whether I have done the wright or wrong thing now. I’m panicking. My partner says it’s fine but I just feel really anxious. Advice please 🙏 x

Bump! Pls anyone ?

Take her to a&e to be safe x

I would either call 111 or take her to A&E to be safe

It will be fine, it will have dissolved by now. I expect her throat was hurting because she scratched it a bit. Were you really doing back blows for 15 minutes because she was coughing, or it just felt like 15 minutes? She was probably just upset because you were panicking. She'll be alright.

Maybe I'm way too laid back but if I'd got her to calm down and drink some water then I wouldn't think anything more of it.

I'd be tempted to agree with getting checked out at A&E. The concern is that fragments of the crackers may have made it down into her airways. Foreign material in the airways can cause a significant chest infection. Bigger pieces might even (occasionally) need fishing out by means of a bronchoscopy. On the plus side at least it was something that probably wouldn't be much of an allergen (like, say, peanuts), as those can cause all sorts of inflammation.

I would probably call 111 and see what they say. Food getting into the airways can cause significant problems like infection. On the other hand I once inhaled a grain of rice, which 100% didn't come back out again, and I was fine

But is there anything they can actually do for that? Fragments of a cracker aren't going to show up on an X-ray, are they? Toddlers get infections all the time from nursery so perhaps it's useful information to keep in mind in case she gets a bad cold and then you can mention it to the GP. If they only "occasionally" fish pieces out then they aren't likely to do that just in case.

Thanks 🙏 I wasn’t sure if I was over reacting or not. My partner is adamant she is fine :( I have terrible anxiety about it. I think I will call my GP in the morning. I am just worrying as her whole mouth was full with cracker and crumbs. She kept going to catch her breath from crying and inhaling more. My A&E department are usually terrible and can see them sending us away as she’s not actually coughing etc.

Oh gosh, I think I'd feel equally anxious as you but I could also see the other point of view. To be honest, I'd probably end up sleeping on her bedroom floor!

I can't see that hospital could do anything. If she developed a chest infection then mention it but otherwise I'd not think anything of it tbh.

If she’s happily sleeping then it’s unlikely to be an issue.
Please don’t take a toddler to a&e in the middle of the night because she coughed on a cracker.
At the absolute most I’d be attempting to speak to a health professional tomorrow.

Thanks everyone she’s woke up holding her throat and saying her throat hurts. Will give our GP surgery a call when it opens. She’s not coughing she just said her throat is hurting

Was it an adult cracker or one designed for babies? The ones designed for babies melt for this very reason.

@bubblesforbreakfast was a Jacob’s cream cracker