Paulie Swallowed a 25 Centavo Coin!

Last Updated on April 13, 2017 by Marie Bautista

This is sort of a family legend. When my eldest daughter was five years old, I kid not, she swallowed a 25 centavo coin…

I have been very particular with my children’s nutrition (still am), and it still escapes me why on that particular day, Paulie needed some metal nourishment!

Here was what happened: I had a class that Saturday (I was taking up my MBA degree) and my two girls were left in the care of the Dad. He left them playing girly stuff in the family room (dads can’t relate to dolls and tea parties, I guess) when he suddenly heard Paulie, my eldest, screaming (she panics a lot. Still does, and she is sixteen now) and crying that she swallowed a 25 centavo coin.

The dad panicked and tried to make her throw up by shoving his finger down her throat. When she can’t, he tried to shake her upside down (yup, guys do the craziest things when they panic. Moms think clearer even if they tend to scream a lot).

Obviously, the coin went down her esophagus – either the coin is small or her esophagus is big – and Paulie calmed down and actually stopped screaming.

Dad didn’t know if he should get angry at them. He turned to Nicole (the younger one) and yelled at her to open her mouth…

Inside her mouth is a 25 centavo coin, too!

He yelled at her to spit it out and was going crazy figuring outwhy they would even try to put coins in their mouth (they didn’t learn it from me, I swear hehe), when he saw my fish deco (which I got rid of since), but it looks something like this:

(the girls were pretending to be the fish and were putting the coins in their mouth)

He brought Paulie to the ER immediately where an X-ray was done. The doctor told Dad that the coin will be excreted within three days and to bring her back to the ER if she begins to vomit or have tummy pain.

So for the following days, Paulie has to use the training potty, so we can see if the coin made it to the other end. Dad was kidding Paulie (who was very worried with that coin inside her intestines) that if that 25 centavo coin would turn into a five peso coin, he will be feeding her more 25 centavo coins.

If your child has swallowed any object, don’t ever take the wait-and-see approach. Take her to the emergency room immediately for an X-ray. An X-ray will tell you if the coin got stuck in her esophagus or went down to her stomach. I actually had a friend whose nephew swallowed a five peso coin (just days after my daughter did). The coin got stuck in his esophagus and the doctors had to do an operation to have it removed. Don’t ever attempt to shake the child upside down or put your finger down the child’s throat, by the way.

Comments

GeriLen Elinessete says
November 3, 2012 at 3:51 pm
omg, thats scary! i have watched it in news too, your kid is lucky, the child on the news died after swallowing a coin! 🙁
Michelle Villarta-Cabanas says
November 4, 2012 at 4:43 am
Nothing of the sort has happened yet to my four children (God forbid!) but I think that would be scary too. BUt you're right, panicking will not do any help and it's best to bring your child immediately to the doctor.
Lexi Fernando says
November 4, 2012 at 4:47 am
What an experience! Buti na lang you didn't panic and you brought her to the ER agad.
crazyme says
November 4, 2012 at 5:10 am
It must have given everyone a fright back then. But looking back, it's kinda amusing how hubby reacted (shaking upside down and poking fingers into the mouth) then. Well, that reminds me to inform everyone in the house about first aid procedures.
Grace Alegonza says
November 4, 2012 at 7:57 am
that's why we always put all things small away from my youngest. she hasn't swallowed a coin yet but she already ate other things like crayons (good thing it's non toxic), etc. moms are really better when it comes to handling kids, right? 😛
January says
November 4, 2012 at 1:51 pm
This is really scary, i hope this will not happen to my son. thanks for the advice anyway. 🙂
verabear says
November 5, 2012 at 3:42 am
At the time, I'm sure your hubby was also panicky which is why he shook your girl. hehe. But it's good that nothing worse happened. The kids put into their mouths nga naman! 🙂
Prettymom says
November 6, 2012 at 2:09 am
Oh!!! that scary, normally shoving our fingers to the throat when our kids swallowed something and we them to vomit what he'she swallowe, we did it also to my son when we thought he swallowed a big part of the liver he was eating but only to found out later he was convulsing. truly when you're in panic you tend to do crazy things..visiting from ComEx Nov6
Van Cruz-Gabaza says
July 18, 2013 at 10:05 am
i couldn't help but comment here, sis. this is scary and i never want my son to experience this, too. you must have really gotten panicky and worried, too. thanks for the advice. i am always in close watch with my little boy especially when he's holding something because i'm also afraid that he might swallow it. glad your daughter was safe. 🙂

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