Pediatric Foreign Body Ingestion

Excerpt

Children commonly swallow foreign bodies. Coins are the most commonly swallowed foreign body that comes to medical attention in the U.S.; in other countries, those related to food, such as fish bones, are most common. Preschoolers of both sexes, adolescent boys, and children with mental health issues are at the highest risk. Even infants may swallow foreign bodies that are given to them, perhaps by older siblings. Most swallowed foreign bodies will harmlessly pass through the GI tract, but some will lead to health problems if they become lodged (e.g., too large to pass or small objects like a pill that may adhere to a moist surface); traumatize the mucosa (e.g., sharp or pointed object, like a razor blade or pin), or cause caustic burn injury (e.g., biologically active substances, such as a button battery or a medication patch).