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Q. What should I do if I think my kid is choking?
Dr. Zibners' Answer:
Okay, I’m clearly making this one up because it just fits so well. But 2 weeks ago, when my niece choked on foil/rock/whatever, I found out that my sister hadn’t yet taken an infant cpr course. (yes, she got an earful) I’d like to ask everyone out there to enroll in your nearest first aid/ CPR course if you aren’t already certified. There isn’t enough room here to fully explain what to do if you think your child is choking. However, I can say that if she is coughing or making noise, let her keep doing it herself and call 911 if it lasts more than a few seconds, she turns blue or passes out. If she is truly choking and not making noise, call 911 immediately. Infants under 1 do not get the Heimlich maneuver. Instead, you will learn back blows in your CPR class. If you see something in her mouth, grab it but don’t stick your finger in blindly because you could shove something you can’t see in even further. If she passes out, you will also learn how to deliver breaths to her in between back blows. Go find a class. Google it. If you can’t be bothered to leave your house, I just found out that the American Heart Association offers a doll and a DVD for a very reasonable price and the whole family can use it over and over. My sister is getting hers within 3 business days. (You’re welcome lazybones.) Not quite as good as having an instructor double check your technique, but better than naught.
Q. My kid insists on eating snow when we are outside but we live in a city and the snow has to be dirty
Dr. Zibners' Answer:
Ah, the dog pee and motor oil must be what attracts her. Eating snow is fun and while I sure would prefer my own kids to eat pristine, just fallen flakes from the middle of an untouched meadow, the reality is that most kids are going to be grabbing from the piled up frozen mountains right on the sidewalk. I wouldn’t encourage the behavior and would try to distract her or look for “clean” patches where she can grab a treat. However, I also wouldn’t worry myself too much about it. My favorite saying is, “You eat a pound of dirt before you die,” which is just my way of reminding myself and others that our immune system is perfectly capable of sorting the good from the bad and probably even enjoys the challenge. The younger the kid, the more delicate and immature the immune system, so I’m less likely to let my 4 week-old eat mud than I would a 2 year-old but if your kid is old enough to grab the snow and put it in her mouth, she’s probably big enough to handle whatever impurities she finds in there.
Update: Week of February 15
This Week’s Hot Topic
Oh my goodness, are we really to Myth #1? I’m going to have to find a new list of topics to write about. But I won’t put this one off any longer, since we did start way back in September with our Top 10 Worst Myths about kids and their health. And really, Myth #1 is very appropriate today. Zoe is 4 weeks old today. 28 days. And for a pediatrician, this is a huge milestone because it means that if she gets a fever, I can be a lot less worried. And that is Myth #1: Fever is dangerous.
Q. Help! I think my child just swallowed something that wasn’t food!
Dr. Zibners' Answer:
Thanks to my sister and my niece for always giving me writing material. My 9 month-old niece ate something that was possibly aluminum foil but could have been a rock. She choked and gagged for a few seconds and then swallowed it. Once she stopped crying, we had her drink some water, which went down fine. After that, she took some peaches down the hatch without any trouble. At this point, because we knew that she was breathing comfortably and able to take solids, we assumed that whatever she got in her mouth had made its way to her tummy and wasn’t stuck in her esophagus or airway. So the lesson here is that if your kid gets something that isn’t really food but it goes down and she’s acting fine, it’s probably going to pass through her gut. No need to watch for it to come out in the poop. If she is choking and not breathing, call 911. Refusing to drink, drooling excessively, or refusing to swallow solids are all signs that it could be stuck in her esophagus and you should call your doctor. Please keep in mind that if your suspect a disc battery was the offending object, you will need an x-ray to see exactly where it is because batteries can leak fluid and cause serious damage (including up the nose and in the ear!).
Update: Week of February 8
This Week’s Hot Topic
So as you can see, being a mother of 2 infants who are less than 4 months apart in age has hindered my ability to sit down and write to you. Last week I was juggling plans to take my older daughter to her final adoption hearing in Florida with making sure my new baby would be taken care of home in New York. As much as I hated leaving my little one, I desperately wanted to make sure that Eva was stuck with us forever. So I guess it is just the beginning of feeling perpetually torn between the needs of two different little people. But whatever their needs are during the day, they’re both asleep at the moment, which means I have time to talk about Myth #2: A kid needs to be kept awake after hitting his head.
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"WHAT I LIKED: This book is written in a funny, down to earth way that doesn't make you feel like an idiot. I really would have appreciated something like this when my kids were really little and I freaked out over everything they put in their mouths. It has a scenario/question and answer format, with clear answers on when not to panic and when to call 911."
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