A swallowed object that blocks the airway is a true medical emergency. If the person is not breathing, call 911 for this medical emergency immediately. Most swallowed objects pass through the body and out in a bowel movement without any medical intervention.
Even pieces of broken balloons pose a serious potential choking hazard because they are easily sucked into the throat and lungs. Uninflated balloons and pieces of broken balloons are particularly hazardous because of the way they can stretch and mold to a child's throat, making it impossible to breathe.
Your child may show no symptoms at all after swallowing an odd item. But clues that something's amiss can include coughing, drooling, bloody saliva, gagging, fever, refusing food, and vomiting. Pain in their neck, chest, or throat can be another sign. Go to the emergency room right away if your child has any of these.
Speaking to TOI, Dr A N Ventakesh, head of emergency medicine, Apollo hospitals, said “If older children ingest something like a balloon, it enters the stomach and passes out through the motion. In small children, the airway is narrower and it gets stuck causing a life-threatening condition.
If you think a child swallowed a balloon take it very seriously. When a balloon pops it can tear apart sending pieces into a child's trachea. Numerous children have suffocated in the presence of family, in front of their eyes, because no one realized what had happened.
Although the gastric balloon is resistant to stomach acid, there is a small chance of rupture. In this case, the balloon is removed from your stomach.
Balloons mold to the throat and lungs and can completely block breathing. Because of the danger of suffocation, the CPSC recommends that parents and guardians do not allow children under the age of eight to play with uninflated balloons without supervision.
Swallowable gastric balloon removal
After approximately 16 weeks inside your stomach, a time-activated release valve on the balloon will open, allowing it to empty and pass naturally through the gastrointestinal tract without the need for a removal procedure*.
The most common way parents can tell if their child has swallowed something is by acute symptoms, such as sudden drooling, vomiting, coughing or chest pain. You think your child swallowed a foreign object and your child complains of acute, serious symptoms such as: Stomach ache or abdominal pain. Chest pain.
In these cases, you should still consult with your child's doctor or after-hours line immediately. But he or she will most likely advise you to wait and watch. Never give laxatives or induce vomiting, and never force a child to eat or drink directly after they swallow a coin.
The Public Interest Research Group recommends parents don't buy balloons for children under 8 years old. If you do, make sure there is adult supervision to avoid accidental ingestion of broken balloon pieces or uninflated balloons.
Call 911 or your local emergency number right away. Then give yourself abdominal thrusts, also called the Heimlich maneuver, to remove the stuck object.
Most swallowed objects will pass through your body without any problem and show up in your stool within 3 days.
Latex and vinyl balloons are thought to be somewhat toxic due to containing carcinogens. The carcinogens in latex balloons are not from the latex itself, but some of the chemicals used to make the balloons, and users are put at risk when blowing up the balloons with their mouths instead of with helium.
If you think your child swallowed something small that isn't sharp (like a plastic bead), you do not need to take him or her to the doctor right away. Call your doctor if your child starts to have any of the following symptoms: vomiting, gagging, drooling, not eating, stomach pain, coughing, or wheezing.
Feeling bloated can result from an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. This bacteria ferments food, creating gas that causes bloating. In other words, you feel like you've been blown up like a balloon.
The child may drool, vomit, or refuse to eat. He or she may complain of chest pain, neck pain, or a feeling of something stuck in the throat.
What should I do if my child swallows something poisonous? Right away call the toll-free Poison Help line (1-800-222-1222), which connects you to your local poison center.
Coins measuring > 25mm (about the size of 5-baht coins) are not usually able to pass through the digestive system naturally, meaning an endoscopy would be necessary to remove the coin. Larger objects measuring > 2.5cm: It is recommended that an endoscopy take place within 24 hours of the object being swallowed.
Nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain are possible side effects in the early period (first 3-4 days) after balloon insertion and are rare. In the first 7 days, the patient cannot tolerate the balloon due to these side effects and the probability of removing the balloon is around 1-2%.
In the hands of experts, the gastric balloon is a very safe and effective procedure and serious complications are uncommon.
Safety rules for balloons
Nitrosamines are formed in the manufacture of balloons when the rubber is processed to make it more resistant. These chemicals can be released when a balloon is inflated by mouth.
In addition to choking or aspirating on broken balloon pieces, some children actually suck in uninflated balloons while trying to blow them up. Part of the reason that so many children choke on balloons may be that parents underestimate the choking hazard from latex balloons, especially to older children.
Latex balloons contain a powder that helps release them from molds when they are manufactured. This powder carries latex proteins, which can cause some people to have a severe allergic reaction.