Babies explore their new environment and learn from it. As the baby’s immune system develops and adjusts during the first years, they use all the senses such as smell, touch, sight, taste and hearing. With those tiny hands, the baby will first grasp and then move the hand straight into the mouth. This process of exploration is called ‘mouthing’, which is perfectly normal in babies.
I’m pretty sure you have noticed babies putting things in their mouth all the time.
But have you heard or witnessed babies swallowing small things like beads, batteries or even syilings?
Recently, a post about a baby who swallowed a lithium battery from a broken watch went viral with more than 4K likes and 3K shares on Facebook.
According to the Public Health Malaysia, the child’s father said that the small lithium battery was being swallowed right in front of his eyes. The small lithium battery was taken from his elder child’s watch which fell down and broke.
As the battery was placed on the table, the young one grabbed it and put it inside his mouth. The child’s father quickly rushed him to the hospital.
“Along the way, he cried loudly and in pain”, he said.
After an examination, the doctor brought the child to the surgery room. Fortunately, the hospital has pediatrician and a pediatric endoscopy camera. If not, they’ll have to bring him to another nearest hospital.
The doctor said that the esophageal wall was slightly burnt but the child was lucky as he was brought to the hospital on time without any delay.
The batteries may cause the wall to burn even worse or leak out if the child is brought two hours late. The child may have to consume food with a tube that is connected directly into the intestine.
▼ Surprisingly, this type of incidents are happening everywhere! Netizens shared their experience of them and their child swallowing random small things and how they overcome it!
▼ Parents and caretakers should always have an eye on the children and watch them when they’re playing!
This type of battery is very dangerous. Make sure to not place batteries where children can reach easily. If they swallow it, do not wait! Quickly, bring them to the nearest hospital!
Info via: Facebook