What do a penny, a pebble and a miniature plastic toy cat all have in common?  If you ask Dr. Christopher Hampson, a physician at Midwest ENT Consultants, he’ll instantly tell you that these are all items he has personally found inside the esophagus of some of his patients. Dr. Hampson knows firsthand: Babies, toddlers and young children all have the tendency to put objects in their mouths, ears and even noses.  Unfortunately, sometimes these objects are too small and become easily lodged in places they shouldn’t.  Dr. Hampson says this is very common among children; in fact, over the course of his career, he’s seen about one patient every two weeks with this issue.

What are some items commonly swallowed by young children?  Dr. Hampson says coins, watch batteries (which are very dangerous), screws, small toys, bugs, pebbles and peanuts top the list. It’s important for parents to be aware of what’s laying around. The best prevention is limiting access to small objects.

Dr. Hampson offers a list of items all parents should keep out of children’s reach:

• Peanuts or other types of nuts
• Small toys such as Legos
• Change and coins
• Watch batteries, as well as other small batteries found in remotes, timers and toys

For more information or to contact a physician, please call Midwest ENT Consultants at 630.668.2180