What to Do if My Child Swallows a Quarter
It is inevitable that your child will experiment by putting objects into their mouth. Infants learn about the world around them by chewing and biting on the things they come into contact with. It is not uncommon for children to accidentally swallow such items and sometimes have to seek medical attention. Thankfully a quarter is round and not likely to cause any damage so the prognosis is good.
Swallowing coins
As a parent your child swallowing anything accidentally is a huge concern, for fear that it could cause an injury. If your child swallows a coin, and there appears to be no initial discomfort or coughing, the normal routine is to wait between 24 and 48 hours to see if the coin passes into his stool. This means the coin has passed easily into his stomach. As there are no sharp edges on a quarter then there should be no difficulty for your child to pass it. It's a good idea to call your pediatrician to alert them to the situation; they may prefer that you bring him in to be on the safe side. Pay close attention to him, and if he does start to have symptoms such as difficulty breathing, vomiting, coughing or starts to turn blue, then take him straight to the hospital.
What to do if the coin doesn't pass naturally
If your child does not pass the coin in her stool, she will have to have an X-ray to establish where the coin is and whether or not it is causing an obstruction while it passes through his system. On rare occasions surgery might be the only alternative if the coin is, for some reason, not passing.
What to do if your child is coughing
Unless he is having difficulty breathing this is not always a bad sign. Allow him to keep coughing as this may assist in dislodging the coin. If you are able to see the coin, reach in very carefully to try to remove it. Be careful not to reach in too far as this might make the situation worse.
Seeking medical help
If your child seems to be in distress and is having difficulty breathing it could be that the coin has become stuck in her esophagus and will need to be removed, in which case you would need to seek immediate medical assistance. A doctor will be able to X-ray her to determine if the coin has become lodged and if it's possible to remove without surgery. Oftentimes a doctor will be able to remove the coin using an endoscope - a long, thin tube with a light and a camera on the end that allows the doctor to see inside his esophagus and stomach via video images. If the doctor is able to see the quarter, he will use a bronchoscope to either remove the coin or push it farther down into the stomach to be passed later.
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