# 3-year-old bit off piece of light bulb



## writteninkursive

My 3-year-old just unscrewed the lightbulb from her nightlight and ate off the tip. She was crunching it in her mouth and we tried to make her spit it out, but she only had a tiny bit left. It was a piece of the tip about a centimeter long and very thin.
Should I just give her some milk or something? Take her to the ER? What will they do there for it anyway?

Argh!!!! 3-year-olds!!!


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## AngelBee

I would call a dr or the ER


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## eclipse

If it were my kid, we'd be headed to the ER.


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## claddaghmom

I would forcefully rinse her mouth, hang her over the sink and spray water to the extent that I could, then I would examine for cuts and possibly take her to the ER if anything looked odd.


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## calmom

my son did this years ago. i was TERRIFIED! i called our doc and he told me to forcefully clean his mouth out (which i had already done, of course) and that he would be fine. i was afraid that his insides would get torn apart passing the glass through but he assured me that with such a small piece, that wouldn't happen.

oh, just remembered, my son ate a christmas light bulb, if it matters.


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## yarngoddess

OOOHHH! How scary! I really hope kiddo is OK?!


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## writteninkursive

Well, we decided to just watch her. I told her if her tummy hurts at all, she needs to tell me or her dad right away. We rinsed her mouth out really well. She isn't bleeding or anything. I think she'll be okay. My sister's 3-year-old has eaten everything under the sun (dishwasher tablets, screws, a piece of screen, etc.) and she survives, somehow.

I just wonder if she has Pica or something... glass! Ech! And the other one eats crayons constantly. I don't get it.


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## PaulaJoAnne

Be aware that the new energy saver bulbs are filled with Mercury!!!!!!!


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## Ackray

Yikes! How is your DD doing? I hope she's ok.


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## Ducky5306

I read about a kiddo doing that (in parenting or parents magazine) the ped said to have the child eat lots of bread to help "cushion" any glass pieces..

You'll laugh about this in afew years.. but right now i understand how scary it is!


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## sbgrace

I would have called poison control..I bet they would have told you whether you needed to be concerned. For future reference it's always worth a call!
But you don't need to be concerned about the glass. (not sure about the fact that she decided to eat a lightbulb...does she eat other non-food items?)
But my friend's child did something similar and swallowed glass. She was told that the body does pretty well with glass. The major puncture damage risk for kids is actually toothpick pieces (or less commonly building nails)! They are pointy and can get lodged. But glass is almost always harmless.

I found a link that basically says what she was told. http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/Health...11&categoryID=


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## phathui5

If it is pica, maybe you could get her vitamin and mineral levels checked to see if there's something she's not getting enough of.


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## Mama Dragon

Quote:


Originally Posted by *writteninkursive* 
Well, we decided to just watch her. I told her if her tummy hurts at all, she needs to tell me or her dad right away. We rinsed her mouth out really well. She isn't bleeding or anything. I think she'll be okay. My sister's 3-year-old has eaten everything under the sun (dishwasher tablets, screws, a piece of screen, etc.) and she survives, somehow.

I just wonder if she has Pica or something... glass! Ech! And the other one eats crayons constantly. I don't get it.

Sounds like basic child proofing/watching would be the best thing to do!

Wait and watch is foolhardy. Glass inside the stomach and intestines isn't even the same as eating soap. It'll cut up her insides and cause internal bleeding and you won't have a clue.


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## Ducky5306

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mama Dragon* 
Sounds like basic child proofing/watching would be the best thing to do!

Wait and watch is foolhardy. Glass inside the stomach and intestines isn't even the same as eating soap. *It'll cut up her insides and cause internal bleeding and you won't have a clue*.

That's not generally true

and that's kinda harsh, I'm sure the OP watches her child(ren) 3 year olds are quick and sneaky little buggers!

*From U Of M Children's Hospital*

Quote:

What items are harmful if swallowed?

Most nonfood items swallowed by children are coins. Smaller coins (dimes or pennies) usually pass though the body easily. Larger coins (and sometimes the smaller ones) can get hung up at a narrow segment of the esophagus. Dangerous objects are pointed ones such as nails and toothpicks. Swallowed glass, on the other hand, usually passes through the body harmlessly. Button (or disk) batteries are dangerous because they contain acid or alkali, which can erode the lining of the intestines.
How can I take care of my child?

* Check if eating causes symptoms

If your child does not have any symptoms (trouble swallowing or pain in the throat), give your child some water to drink. If this does not cause any symptoms, your child should eat some bread or other soft, solid, carbohydrate food. If this goes smoothly, the object is probably in the stomach. Swallowed foreign bodies almost always make it to the stomach, travel through the intestines, and are passed in a normal bowel movement in 3 or 4 days. There is nothing you can do to hurry it along.
* Check bowel movements

Normally bowel movements do not need to be checked for small, smooth objects. However, when the object is sharp, long (more than 1 inch), or valuable, collect your child's bowel movements in a diaper or on newspapers. Cut the bowel movements up with a knife or strain them through a piece of screen until you find the object.


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## RiverSky

I think poison control should have been the first call. What sort of light bulb was it? I've recently read that most or all light bulbs have mercury in them. I'm not sure if there is some recommended protocol when mercury might have been ingested, but I imagine poison control would know.

Hopefully your daughter is fine! It'll be a good story for when she gets older.


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## Rozelyn

calmom said:


> my son did this years ago. i was TERRIFIED! i called our doc and he told me to forcefully clean his mouth out (which i had already done, of course) and that he would be fine. i was afraid that his insides would get torn apart passing the glass through but he assured me that with such a small piece, that wouldn't happen.
> 
> oh, just remembered, my son ate a christmas light bulb, if it matters.


My 3 year old just ate a Christmas light bulb. (Mini)


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