Intestinal obstruction due to expanding seeds

Expanding beads are tiny plastic beads, about 2 - 5 mm in diameter, with many bright colors, and are quite popular toys. When soaked in water, these beads can swell up to dozens to hundreds of times their original size, easily causing intestinal obstruction, suffocation or digestive damage if children accidentally swallow them.

Recently, a 14-month-old boy was taken to the National Children's Hospital ( Hanoi ) by his family for emergency treatment at night because he swallowed a few small plastic beads. The patient's mother said that while playing, the boy thought the expanding beads were candy, so he put them in his mouth to eat. At night, the boy vomited a lot and had a bloated stomach.

The foreign objects removed are small plastic beads that can expand when exposed to water.

PHOTO: BVCC

MSc. Nguyen Duc Thuong, Deputy Head of the Department of Intensive Care Surgery, National Children's Hospital, said that during the surgery, doctors determined that there were 4 expanding particles in the small intestine, causing complete intestinal obstruction. The team removed all of these expanding particles. Fortunately, the patient was discovered and operated on in time, so the intestines did not need to be removed.

According to Master Thuong, expanding beads are essentially a type of super absorbent polymer beads, which are essentially non-toxic, but during the manufacturing process, many types are mixed with dyes or chemicals to create color, which can be toxic or irritating to children. In addition, due to their strong water absorption ability, when swallowed, the beads will swell in the intestines, easily leading to intestinal obstruction. Parents need to choose safe toys, suitable for the child's age and closely monitor young children. If a child accidentally swallows expanding beads, even if the child has no symptoms, parents should still take the child to a specialized medical facility for timely treatment.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tac-ruot-do-hat-no-18525111119452919.htm