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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.
Q. Can I give my kid some ibuprofen and diphenhydramine at the same time? He has a cold.
Dr. Zibners' Answer:
Kudos to the mom who asked before combining medications! You have to be really careful when giving your little one pain or fever medicines because some products are combination medications containing more than one active ingredient. While intended to simplify your life, they can sometimes result in the inadvertent overdosing of one or more ingredients. So, the answer is: Yes, it is okay to give ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) with diphenhydramine (Benadryl), as long as each bottle contains a single ingredient. However, that doesn’t change the fact that there is no medication that effectively and safely treats coughs and colds in little kids. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen are great for the discomfort and fever. But allergy or cold medications are unlikely to help and very likely to make your kid either really sleepy or completely nuts.
Update Week of January 25
This Week’s Hot Topic
I once again begin with an apology for missing last week. Hopefully you’ll forgive me when you hear why. My daughter, Zoe, was born on Friday morning. Now this might confuse those of you who have been paying attention because you know that Eva was born in October. Yes, I have 2 little girls who are 13 weeks and 2 days apart in age. Some people (like my father) think that I’ve completely lost my mind. At the very least, family photos are a little confusing right now. I’ve got one baby grinning at the camera and her sister, who is very close to the same size, curled up in a little newborn lump, oblivious to her surroundings.
Q. When can I kiss my baby on his mouth?
Dr. Zibners' Answer:
I am forever kissing my baby on her cheeks and occasionally she turns her head and I get half a lip but I really do try to avoid smearing my germy mouth all over hers. We all have bacteria in our mouth (even if we are avid gum wipers) and it is possible to transmit bacteria from mom to baby by either kissing on the lips or putting something in your mouth that will wind up in his. Not only can this transfer obvious things like colds and flu, but it is also possible that the bacteria responsible for dental cavities can be transferred over as well. Therefore, I would say you should do your best to avoid kissing his lips until he has a well-developed immune system. Personally I’m going to wait until she can kiss me back before we smack lips. Of course if you are sick or have a cold sore, it’s best to avoid kissing at all until you are better.
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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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