Swallowed Foreign Bodies during Childhood

Overview

The author evaluated his experience with the treatment of 41 children admitted to hospitalduring 1981-1997 on account of a swallowed foreign body which passed into the stomach orlower portions of the digestive tract. In 33 children the foreign bodies were excreted per viasnaturales without causing any complaints, similarly as in a much larger number of childrenwhich cannot be estimated who were examined only as out-patients. In six children the foreignbodies were removed gastroscopically and in two children by surgery. In five of six cases wherethe foreign body was removed gastroscopically this was done much earlier than is the meanperiod of spontaneous passage through the digestive tract, i.e. the procedure was obviouslyunnecessary. The two operations were necessary.The author holds the view that the great majority of children who swallowed a foreign bodywhich passed though the oesophagus into the stomach can be followed up as out-patientswithout treatment, in the author’s opinion dietetic or medicamentous treatment is not impor-tant.

Key words:
foreign body - digestive tract - child age.