Children, especially toddlers and preschoolers, have an uncanny ability to surprise adults. And one in all the more alarming discoveries parents could make is that their child has a small object, comparable to a bit of Lego, stuck up their nose.
Queensland Children's Hospital Recently reported More than 1,650 children presented to the emergency department with foreign objects on their noses. During the last decade. Legos, beads, balls, batteries, buttons and crayons were amongst essentially the most common items.
With the Christmas season across the corner, it's likely that more of those little things will likely be brought into our homes as toys, gifts or novelty items.
But why do children stick such things up their noses? Here's how natural curiosity, developing motor skills, and a limited understanding of danger is usually a dangerous combination.
1. Children are curious creatures.
Toddlers are naturally curious creatures. During the toddler and preschool years, children explore their environment using their senses. They touch, taste, smell, hear and see every part around them. It's a natural a part of their development and an enormous a part of how they learn in regards to the world.
Researchers call it “Curiosity based learning“Children usually tend to explore unfamiliar objects or after they don't fully understand how they work,” he says. Why are people drawn to familiar things?
Unfortunately, this healthy developmental curiosity sometimes results in them putting things in places they shouldn't, like their nose.
2. Children are great imitators.
Young children often imitate what they see. Studies that track the identical group of kids over time confirm this. Imitation plays an important role In child development. It prompts certain essential nerve pathways within the brain. Imitation is particularly essential when Learning to use and understand language And when learning motor skills like walking, clapping, catching a ball, waving and writing.
Simply put, when a toddler imitates, it strengthens brain connections and helps them learn latest skills faster. Anecdotally, parents of young children will see their young children imitating the phrases or gestures of older siblings.
Putting objects up their nose isn't any different. Young children see older children and adults holding objects near their faces – after they blow their noses, placed on make-up or eat – and choose to try it themselves.
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3. Children don't yet understand danger.
A toddler will be curious. But they don't have the cognitive capability or reasoning ability to know the results of putting objects of their nose or mouth. This is usually a dangerous combination. So it's important to observe your infant.
Small, brightly coloured objects, objects with interesting textures, or objects that resemble food are especially attractive to young children.
what am i able to do
Sometimes, it's obvious when a baby has put something of their nose, but not at all times. Your child can have pain or itching across the nose, discharge or bleeding from the nose, and should be anxious or restless.
Get immediate medical attention in case your child has trouble respiration or for those who suspect your child has ingested a pointy object or button battery. Button batteries May cause burns and damage tissues in lower than quarter-hour, which may result in infection and injury.
If your child enters something where they shouldn't:
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keep calm: Your baby will react to your emotions, so attempt to stay calm.
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Assess the situation: Can you see the article? Is your child in pain?
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Encourage your child. Blow their nose gently.. This will help remove the article.
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Take your child outside within the sun.: A transient exposure for a minute or two can trigger a “sun sneeze”, which may remove the article. But avoid sniffing, which may cause the substance to travel further into the airways and lungs.
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Never attempt to remove the item yourself. Using tweezers, cotton swabs or other tools. This can push the article further into the nose, causing more damage.
If these methods don't help, your baby isn't upset and also you don't suspect a pointy object or button battery, go to your GP. They may give you the chance to see and take away the item.
Prevention is healthier.
Prevention of those incidents starts with keeping small, shiny, attractive objects out of kids's reach, and teaching them not to place things of their noses or mouths.
Monitoring is essential. Parents and caregivers can be strict about what they carry into their home. If there may be an alternate item, for instance, the same product that doesn't require a button battery, consider purchasing that as a substitute.
Curiosity is a trademark of kids and a vital learning process within the early years. However, this curiosity, combined with a limited ability to acknowledge danger, is usually a dangerous combination. With risk awareness, vigilance, and appropriate motion when incidents occur, parents can keep their children secure while they explore the world.