F**k - DS1 has swallowed staple(s), should I panic?!!!!!

[angel1976]

Fuck fuck fuck, was putting DS2 in bed and didn't realise DS1 had gotten hold of some loose staples. He had some in his mouth and I managed to fish 4 or 5 out. I opened his mouth one more time to check if there is any more left and saw a glint of one in the back of his throat. Before I could get to it, he had swallowed it. ARGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH! Have called NHS Direct and they have said they will call back in half an hour but in the meantime to keep him up (it's his bedtime now!!!!). Argh, what do I do? It's one of those unused ones with horrible sharp pointy ends... Any one's little ones have done that and been okay? Can't even take him to A&E as DH is not home...

If they haven't rung you then call them back, I am with others who think you need to take him to A +E. Sorry. You ust be in bits.

How soon will your DH be home?

A&E, they will show up on an x-ray.

I hope everything's OK.

I hope your DS is ok, gawd children cause us no end of worry xx

the danger is that they get lodged and can migrate i think (hence full body x-ray) and then danger of infection etc, plus obv more sensitive organs. obv staples can puncture and tear, but usually the idea is to find it, and then work out whether it's in a dangerous place, or likely to make it's way out...

i think you will end up with x-rays etc - but i'm sure it will be ok. hope you have been called back and dh is home to help you sort out x

A&E as a precaution - hope you're ok - please let us know how you get on as we'll all be worrying about you

Hi all,

Sorry for being so late. Basically NHS Direct called back soon after the last message and said to take DS1 to A&E as precaution. The nurse said a healthy toddler with a healthy digestive system should be able to pass the staple with no problems but to take him just in case. I called a friend who agreed to come and babysit DS2. DH turned up at the same time and we got DS1 out of bed and went to A&E.

Nurse saw him, doctor sent him for a chest X-ray. DS1 was actually very excited, thinking it was a great adventure to be going to the hospital with mummy and daddy. Finally saw the doctor again who listened to his chest, looked into the back of his throat and looked at the X-ray. She said she couldn't see anything on the X-ray and it doesn't look like it's done anything. She thinks there's nothing she would do anyway at this point. Just wait and see but obviously bring him in again if he complained of any pain or blood in his stools, vomiting etc. I'm pretty positive I saw a staple at the back of his mouth but now I am beginning to doubt myself... I feel so bad we spent most of the night in A&E but I'm glad we went.

I guess at least they didn't say they could see 5 in there or something! And if DS1 did complain of anything in the next few days, at least they have it on record that he has swallowed something he shouldn't have and take it seriously. There was another mother with her children who came in right after us and her son had stuck something in his ear... Gosh! I will be checking on DS1 religiously tonight though. I feel like such a BAD mother! Thank you all for your advice and worrying with me...

Ax

Ds shoved some old wallpaper up his nose when he was about 2. I had no idea until he sneezed on the way to nursery and a huge ball of snotty wallpaper came out of his nose.

glad you got him checked.

fwiw i know a mum whose dd eats batteries... regularly. a + e are quite used to seeing her. i think the record they found on x-ray was 6 - mum was only aware that 2 were missing...

but the only thing i've ever known anyone to operate for was tampax lol... (it swells and causes a blockage ) but that wasn't a human, it was a dog!

hope you have an uneventful couple of days and manage to relax. that shiny drool stuff glinting is always tricksy

glad he enjoyed his trip out x

Had to get DS1 up today in order to go to nursery, think he was tired from the late night. He seemed okay though and did a poo, which I tried to check as best as possible and no sight of any staple... Have asked nursery to keep a close eye on him today though and to call me if there is anything slightest wrong with him. One of the nursery staff told me she had to go to two hospitals with her DD when she was little as she pushed something right up her nose and the first hospital couldn't get it out! Hmmmm... Not sure I am looking forward to that! Thanks for all your concern...

My ds has swallowed a silver ball bearing and a hearing aid battery! We were at my stepsons(older than me by nine years) when he swallowed the bb and he had to take us to casualty. Ds has aspergers and he is very friendly,,,,,,, the person he chose to speak to in casualty was a rather suspicious looking man with a teetowel round his hand and a policewoman next to him. I had great difficulty getting ds to move. My poor stepson was hiding behind a magazine pretending he didnt know us!! The hearing aid battery was a Friday night trip to Casualty. That was so embarassing as there all these REALLY hurt children ie broken limbs etc and there was ds bouncing around!!

if you really want to check it (no-one really wants to lol) you need a sieve and a fork. and a face mask lol.

and then you need to throw them away.

fuzzy felt is good up noses

my kids both swallowed those little silica gel balls from my new handbag,. I rang nhs direct in a panic thinking their stomachs would begin to dessicate, but no. Apparently they are a low-level poison?!!

phew.

ds has pretty much eaten everything, I'm past worrying. He carried things round in his mouth when his hands were full for ages, like a hamster.