# WWYD? bird feathers in mouth?



## aris99 (Oct 24, 2005)

Ok,

This is going to sound a bit bizarre but.....I was out w/my kids in the snow. I was showing my ds a hollybush. My youngest, who had been told earlier to stop eating snow (snow beginning to get brown), was being her regular defiant little self. She appeared to be trying to get something out of her mouth. I rush over to see what it is and she has a handful of downy bird feathers in her mitten. I **think** she'd put them to her lips, possibly in her mouth but hadn't swallowed them. I scramble around in the snow to try and figure out where the feathers came from but I don't find any more nor do I find a dead bird or anything like that. We are veggies so we don't own down coats or anything.

Does anyone know if you can get parasites, west nile....anything like that from feathers? I was thinking if it were a dead bird the parasites would have fled but I don't know....should I do anything?

When do kids STOP teasing you by putting things in their mouths???AGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!


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## aris99 (Oct 24, 2005)

Am I getting no replies because there's no cause to worry?

Any input?

Anyone?


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Sorry no responses yet. I read it earlier, but didn't respond b/c I didn't know what to say.

I don't think there is anything TO *DO*

I fished a kitty litter bit out of ds' mouth last week... sigh.

-Angela


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## tanyalynn (Jun 5, 2005)

I don't know if there are any risks or not. I think I'd assume that everything's fine, that's generally what I do when the kids do something really great like lick the bottom of their shoes or something wonderful like that.


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## amcal (Jan 13, 2003)

At this point, there isn't anything you can do. Chances are it's nothing. Especially given how cold it is outside. I think everything will be fine but, if you're concerned, there's no reason you can't put a call in to your ped just for reassurance.


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## lil_miss_understood (Jul 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TanyaLopez* 
I don't know if there are any risks or not. I think I'd assume that everything's fine, that's generally what I do when the kids do something really great like lick the bottom of their shoes or something wonderful like that.









:
That's pretty much my response too. Take a deep breath. Count to 3 and remember that there were probably kids doing the same thing 100 years ago, and chances are, they lived too.


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## tanyalynn (Jun 5, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JacquelineR* 







:
That's pretty much my response too. Take a deep breath. Count to 3 and remember that there were probably kids doing the same thing 100 years ago, and chances are, they lived too.

You laugh, but while on a business phone call (cell while picking up my daughter from daycare) I had to say, "Could you please wait a moment?" and then to my daughter "S, shoes are for your feet only, they're not for your mouth." Guy on the phone got quite the chuckle, but someday when he has kids, he'll learn...


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## lil_miss_understood (Jul 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TanyaLopez* 
You laugh, but while on a business phone call (cell while picking up my daughter from daycare) I had to say, "Could you please wait a moment?" and then to my daughter "S, shoes are for your feet only, they're not for your mouth." Guy on the phone got quite the chuckle, but someday when he has kids, he'll learn...

That's actually *why* I was laughing. DS1 did the same thing when he was about 3, although I was on the phone with my (then) landlord. He got a good laugh too, because he remembered his kids doing the same thing.


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## aris99 (Oct 24, 2005)

Thanks everyone! I was able to laugh today...I used to think it was enough, just to say things like "don't run on to the street", "don't smack you sister in the face w/that stick" before we went out to play but now I have to add and " don't put feathers in your mouth"









Actually my older kids never put anything in their mouths as they have sensory issues and oral aversions but along comes this little one who stops at nothing







: I guess I should be rejoicing? I'm locking the shoes away...


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## turtlewomyn (Jun 5, 2005)

I used to take calls from people who were submitting bird carcasses to the Health Department for west nile testing. While we told them not to actually touch the carcasses, I seem to remember that west nile is mosquito born.

There isn't much to do at this point, and it is really unlikely that she got anything from the feathers. I would be more concerned about bacteria growing on a rotting/decomposing dead bird than anything else, and she would probably already be ill from it (probably similar to food poisoning).


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## ttcintexas (Nov 7, 2005)

If it makes you feel better, my 15 month old put some bird poop in his mouth some months back. Not sure if he swallowed any or not, but he was fine. Might not make you feel better to hear that my four year old still puts all kinds of nasty things in her mouth. Oh, and I saw a little girl at my DD's gymnastics class licking her bare feet after running around the gym. Good luck.


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## seemfrog (Mar 30, 2006)

as DH would say "oh, that's alright, our boys have eaten goat turds"
Seriously though, are you talking about soft fluffy baby feathers? I doubt there would even be any bacteria/rot on them, with no skin attached.


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