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Original poster

Does anyone know how to get a pea out of a toddlers nose?!

30 replies

Lubyloo · 23/07/2007 20:25

Can anyone help? DD (21 months) has stuck a pea up her nose. It is really high up - I can only just see it.

It's too high to get with tweezers. I made her sniff some pepper and she sneezed a lot but it didn't come down any further.

She is in bed now but very restless. I hope it will be ok up there overnight. Has anyone any ideas?

OP posts:

PanicPants · 23/07/2007 20:26

Um don't know I'd put her to bed with it in tbh.

Have you one of those suction things you use with babies to unblock their noses?

peachypie · 23/07/2007 20:27

Your going to leave it there over-night? are you sure thats wise? Sorry im not trying to tell you what to do but i dont think i would leave it there while they sleep. Can you not take her to casualty or something?

pipsqueeke · 23/07/2007 20:28

have you tried getting her to blow down whilst you press the other side?

DH suggested a straw to use as a sucky thing but not sure that would work - might poke it up a bit more

NeverTickleASleepingSoupDragon · 23/07/2007 20:28

Block the free nostril and tell her to blow out hard through her nose.

SaintGeorge · 23/07/2007 20:28

A & E, sorry. I wouldn't be happy personally leaving it up there overnight.

You shouldn't try to get it yourself with tweezers or anything, you could do more harm than good.

pipsqueeke · 23/07/2007 20:29

don't think i'd risk it over night tbh.

NeverTickleASleepingSoupDragon · 23/07/2007 20:29

If it doesn't work unfortunately it's a trip to A&E. You can't just leave it.

PanicPants · 23/07/2007 20:29

You can't leave it there. Get her to A&E and they'll get it out straightaway.

tearinghairout · 23/07/2007 20:29

You need to try to squeeze up above it, and push it down.

winestein · 23/07/2007 20:30

There was a thread on this recently and I am trying to rack my brains. It was something like you block the clear side and put your mouth over theirs and blow.

It sounds ridiculous now, but I am sure it was something like that. Maybe a tad tricky with a 21 month old though...

Practicalpet · 23/07/2007 20:30

If I were you I wouldn't take the risk of leaving her with it up her nose all night. Not trying to tell you what to do either but is there anyway you could get her to A&E?

southeastastra · 23/07/2007 20:32

yes a&e the best option especially if it's lodged

FrannyandZooey · 23/07/2007 20:33

No god don't let her go to bed with it in

you really must sort it out

ComeOVeneer · 23/07/2007 20:36

Take her to a+e. I seem to recal VVQV's ds got something stuck uphis nose (unbeknown to her) and it started to smell terrible. Apologies if the wrong person/story.

JoMa · 23/07/2007 20:36

winestein is right, it's called a ? kiss, you cover the unblocked nostril and gently blow into her mouth.

alibobins · 23/07/2007 20:39

winestein is right- block the pea free nostril with your finger and put your mouh over theirs and blow hard ( it will make them cry ) do this about four times and if it doesnt come out go to a&e.

southeastastra · 23/07/2007 20:41

unless you're confident take her to a&e to be on the safe side

JoMa · 23/07/2007 20:42

found it. in Junior mag
"a parent's kiss requires a parent to gently cover their child's mouth with their mouth; simultaneously, they press against the 'clear' nostril then gently, but firmly, blow into the child's mouth. This either blows the foreign body out of the blocked nostril completely, or moves it to a position where it can be removed."

Original poster

Lubyloo · 23/07/2007 20:43

Now you've all got me worried. Spoke to my friend who is a nurse and she thought it would be ok until the morning. Will ring NHS Direct

OP posts:

JoMa · 23/07/2007 20:44

"If done correctly, this technique is successful in 80 per cent of children. If, however, this doesn't remove the foreign body from your childs nose, you should take her straight to hospital"

A woman wrote in to say her 4 yr old got a button so far up his nose it disappeared, when they got to A&E the nurse asked her to do the 'parents kiss'

bookwormtailmum · 23/07/2007 20:45

If they sneeze block the good nostril with your finger and the force will expel it from the blocked nostril . The doctor in children's A & E triage told me this when I sneezed as he examined my dd's nose when she stuck a bead up there. They had to extract it with tweezers in the end .

Good luck .

Original poster

Lubyloo · 24/07/2007 00:20

Thanks all. Just back from A&E minus a pea! They used a suction tube and forceps and finally got it out. DD was very good although when they showed her the pea she asked to eat it!

For future reference- has anyone done that parent kiss thing? I did not feel happy trying that.Was worried I might blow too hard.

OP posts:

kid · 24/07/2007 00:25

Glad you got it sorted.
DS stuck a cheerio up his nose once but was old enough to understand to breathe out his nose while I held the clear nostril. It shot right across the room!

Never tried the parent kiss, but would try anything to avoid A&E

alipigwidgeon · 24/07/2007 04:41

Damn too late, was just going to tell you about the kiss principle. Works a treat, just watch out for the snot the comes out too. My ds2 loved to shove pebbles up his nose. First trip to ER, they showed me how to do this, did it and it worked. It was required frequently after that. We had a whole backyard full of small pebbles.

Far less stressful than forceps I think. It does only work with reasonably small items though I think.

Original poster

Lubyloo · 24/07/2007 11:21

Hi Ali- How hard do you need to blow? DD is the kind of child that I can see will be requiring numerous trips to A+E!! Anything I can do to avoid that would be great.

I remember doing a first aid course a few years ago and the instructor went on about how careful you had to be when giving a baby/toddler mouth to mouth and said you could burst their lungs! All I could think about was that last night so was too scared to try.

I think I would also be a little wary as I took DD to a walk in clinic last night but they sent us to the hospital. The nurse at the clinic said she could remove it but wouldn't as she didn't have the necessary resucitation equipment. There was a danger that she could have inhaled the pea as it was being worked loose. Don't know if she was being exceptionally cautious but think it might make me nervous about doing a "home extraction"!!

OP posts:

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