a little penny....

[hol5]

hi all, just a silly one...my son has just swallowed a penny. Do I need to look for it in the morning, if you know what i mean??!! Or do I assume it will be passed naturally anyway? Can it cause any harm? Could it stay there for years??

[jas1002]

Phone NHS direct. They'll tell you. 0845 46 47

[silly moo]

They will tell you to go to A&E, which would probably involve a very long wait as 'injury' not severe.
It WILL pass through normally once it has actually gone into the stomach.
If the coin has been inhaled, in which case your son would be having breathing difficulties, you would NEED to go to A&E.
Personally I would only look for my engagement ring or wedding ring, coins are not that valuable to me.

[andcal]

when my son swallowed a 5 pence ,i had to take him for an x-ray to make sure it had passed into his stomach,and not wedged anywhere else.luckily it had passed,and it was 2 days later before it came out.

[dancecaller]

It is a sensible shape so not likely get stuck anywhere, but I should still look to make sure.

I can remember a hospital stay because I had swallowed a hair grip. Many trips to x-ray to chart it's progress. They were just about to operate because it was stuck when nature took it's course and a jubillant nurse brought me the evidence (to my disgust).

I was young enough to still be sleeping in a cot, but I can remember doing it. Mummy had pinned my curl without biting the clip (to open it I suppose) and I thought I ought to do it for her.

Then there was the time I got a gooseberry stuck up my nose. It was a nice feeling, sucking it up, blowing it down. Then it was stuck. Hours in casualty, then a general anesthetic, because I would keep still enough.

[hol5]

thanks guys, i've left itovernight anyway and had kept checking him for his breathing.

i don't want to upset him by taking him to hospital if at all possible, he was only in there for an operation two weeks ago which he's only just over.

For piece of mind I will check his stools for the next few days, if nothing happens then i'll take it further, how's that sound??

I

[4getmenot]

I know someone that swallowed �20.00 in pound coins as a bet, people gave him a pound in the pub if he swallowed it he could keep it. He says it definately wasnt worth the �20.00 :-) I'd do as jas1002 says and phone NHS they will be able to tell you what to do :-) Gives a whole new meaning to spending a penny :-)

[aka pixi]

I once swallowed a token from a bandit, about the same size as a penny piece. We were playing cards and I stuck the token in my mouth to pretend I was skint and unfortunately I swallowed it. My parents never took me to hospital and just said it would come out naturally. Whether it did or not I dont know cos I never checked urgghhhh

[silly moo]

hol5 - you are being very sensible.
As a radiographer I would like to point out that it is not considered appropriate to x ray for a swallowed foreign body UNLESS it is a battery or there are signs that the FB is causing problems.

[Lonnie]

Its better to be safe than sorry, if you don't find it in the stools, take your child to the hospital.

[teacher1]

if there is no "change" in the morning take him to the doctor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!