Toddler Q & A

1. My baby ate surf detergent. What to do?

No problem. When babies touch the detergent or rub their hands on their faces with the detergent on their hands, it will hurt their eyes and its tangy taste will make them spit it out. So they will start crying and they won’t be able to eat the detergent more. So as soon as they eat the detergent just wash their mouth with water and clean all their hands and face. Your baby won’t become sick. For some babies, their stomachs might get upset one or two times. Since detergents contain harmful chemicals they can irritate your baby’s stomach. Make sure you don’t give any water or juice right after he ate the detergent. This may cause vomiting and vomiting can irritate your baby’s airways. Just wash the mouth and remove all the detergent present on his tongue with water. Make sure he doesn’t swallow the water. If you notice continuous loose motions or loss of appetite in your baby then you have to go to the hospital.  As long as your baby is playing and eating well you shouldn’t worry at all.

2. My baby Swallowed mothballs or Naphthalene Balls. What to do?

These balls are used in every home to keep away moths from our clothes, cabinets, and other storage places. They contain a harmful chemical called naphthalene which can be dangerous if a baby or an adult swallows it. First of all, a baby’s mouth is too small and your baby might not be able to swallow it as it causes choking. Second, Its taste is bitter and your baby will spit it up as soon as he realizes its taste. It also depends on how long the ball has been exposed to air and how small it is. Balls that are exposed to air for a long time, lose their effectiveness, smell, and become small in size. If your baby swallowed it for some reason then it’s important to seek medical attention as soon as possible to check for any symptoms and treatment. Check for some symptoms like choking, coughing, vomiting, dizziness, and upset stomach. The gas released from the mothball can irritate the eyes and nose, leading to a runny nose, cough, and watery eyes.  As long as your baby is playing and eating well you shouldn’t worry at all. The mothball can come out from your baby’s stool too but still, it’s advisable to call your doctor and discuss the problem.

Never put naphthalene balls or any other dangerous substances in open cabinets which are reachable by children. Because toddlers are busy exploring themselves and their senses and they don’t know what’s toxic and what’s not. They get easily attracted to the colors and smells of these substances. And to know what it is they will try to taste it. So always keep an eye on your baby. If your baby seems very calm and not moving around and being only in one place then this is a sign that your baby is up to something dangerous. He might be keeping wipes in his mouth, taking mothballs, removing charging wires from the socket, eating detergents, playing with glass utensils, etc. Because babies know that you are going to scold them if you see them. Thatswhy they hide and o all these things without making any sound.

3. My baby swallowed small ball-shaped earrings. What to do?

If your baby swallowed just the ball without the hook then it will come out from his stool because swallowing the whole earring with the hook is not possible. If it doesn’t come out from the stool then you have to go to the doctor and take your baby’s stomach scan. In rare cases, it may get stuck in the windpipe and cause breathlessness or choking. This is the time to rush to the emergency room. Some other earrings look like small pearls with a small hook to wear, these cannot be swallowed by your baby because they cause choking or the metal hook may hurt the baby and he will spit it out. As long as your baby is playing and eating well you shouldn’t worry at all.

4. My baby got hurt and started bleeding. What to do?

Babies are just running around playing, jumping, skidding, etc. So it’s very common for them to get hurt many times or fall or skid. That’s why when you have a small kid at your home then you have to keep a medical kit or first aid box at home. There shouldn’t be any sharp edges on beds or any other things. Babyproofing the house is very necessary when you have a small baby at your home. Babies often fall on their knees and get hurt. Some babies get hurt when they come in contact with the sharp edges of beds, cupboards, or other tables.

My baby got hurt above his upper lip when he was just 1 year old. Our bed had a sharp iron edge and we didn’t cover it with a cloth or any other soft material thing. My baby was playing there and suddenly fell on it and thank God he got hurt only above his upper lips. His lips, eyes, nose, the head were safe. We didn’t go to the hospital. We just pressed the cut with our fingers for some time to stop the blood. But my baby got very cranking and was continuously crying. I just comforted him and the blood slowly stopped. He cried and cried and then slept. Once he slept I applied turmeric powder and then called my doctor. He told me it was nothing to worry about and told me to apply betadine ointment twice daily for 3 days on the cut. After treatment, the skin slowly came back but the mark is still visible now after one year.

5. My 5-month-old baby got small round-shaped rashes on his cheek. What to do?

Did your newborn baby get rashes on the cheeks? Or on the forehead or other parts of the skin. My baby got small round-shaped rashes on the cheek when he was 5 months old. This was caused due to the dirt in our home. We shifted the house at that time and so due to the dirt in the home, my baby got rashes on his cheeks. At first, I was afraid and called the doctor to take a piece of advice. He told me, it will go away on its own and there is no need to worry about it. The rashes were there on my baby’s cheeks for 2 days. After 2 days the cheeks were back to normal. I didn’t apply any rash cream or powders. Many parents get tensed and apply ointments or give drops for these types is small rashes which aren’t necessary. Our bodies have the power to heal themselves if the disease is small.

6. Glass bangles broke and hurt my baby. What to do?

We Indians wear glass bangles after marriage either red or green as a tradition. But nowadays this tradition is changing and women are wearing what they like. But for attending functions and other events we prefer wearing either glass or copper bangles to match our traditional wear. If you don’t have a baby then you can happily enjoy your traditional look. But with babies, we can’t. We have to make sure we wear only a few things with light clothing that doesn’t have too many stones or which can cause irritation to our baby’s skin as we hold him throughout the function. Wearing glass bangles is a very dangerous act while carrying a baby or a toddler. They may easily break and hurt your little one due to your baby’s weight or if some pressure is put on it.

I was also in the same situation when my baby was one year old. We had a function at our home and I wore red glass bangles on that day. Every day I don’t wear anything. No bangles, no chains, no earrings, etc. Because according to me I think they hurt our little ones as our whole day will go with our baby taking care of him. So my glass bangles broke when I moved my hand to the bed and hit it. They broke and fell on the floor everywhere. I cleaned them all but still, I don’t know how some tiny pieces of glass were still left. And that small piece came in contact with my baby’s feet when he was playing near the end and he got hurt. His left foot started bleeding. I was worried that the piece of glass went inside his feet. But luckily it came out automatically and a little blood came out along with it. The blood slowly stopped automatically after some time. And after that, I applied some turmeric to stop the blood completely and at night applied betadine ointment on the cut.

So all these accidents are normal when you have a baby at home. They fall and learn to get up. You just have to make sure your baby is healthy and playing and eating well. If bleeding doesn’t stop or if you feel something hard inside the wound then you have to try to take out the tiny glass pieces from your baby’s feet. If you are not able to take it out then you have to go to the hospital.

7. Food stuck in my baby’s nose after vomiting and he is not able to breathe properly. What to do?

This happened to my 2-year-old baby only once. At snack time I gave him a little big watermelon piece. At that time my baby was so hungry that he started eating the fruit very fast without chewing and swallowing properly. So after eating a few pieces he started coughing and vomited all that he ate along with the food that he ate 2 to 3 hours before. Since everything came out all of a sudden through his mouth and nose, some food particles got stuck in his nose and he was not able to breathe properly. He was continuously crying and I was trying to clear his nose with my hands but he was not allowing me to clean it. But somehow I cleaned his nose with my fingers and with a cotton cloth though he was crying very badly. All those food particles came out and he was normal again. It took me at least 15 to 20 minutes to clean his nose properly as he was continuously crying and was not able to breathe properly.

8. Baby not taking medicines. What to do?

Babies don’t like to drink medicines or syrups because of their bad taste. They will hate it the most when they have a fever as they are already feeling irritated with the fever and weakness. As a parent what you can do is to give medicines when your baby is in a deep sleep. But make sure that the baby swallows the medicine. If he is in deep sleep after putting the medicine in his mouth, shake his mouth or move him so that he swallows. He may get up and cry a bit. Offer some water and put him back to sleep. H will go back to sleep very easily as he is already very sleepy. You can also give it at the time of the meal. You can feed medicine in the last spoon of the food that you’re feeding your baby. When your baby doesn’t have any fever he will compromise with you and drink the medicine when you force him. Give water after giving medicine so that the bad taste goes away from his tongue. According to me, it is not a good idea to mix medicine with food or with candy, chocolates, and juices. Its effectiveness decreases when mixed with these types of foods.

9. My baby fell from the stairs. What to do?

It depends on how long and what material the stairs are made of, and how did your baby fall. Because there are more chances of getting hurt in the head, back, neck, and knees. If your baby is less than 3 years then you should call your doctor for advice or take them to the hospital if they hurt their head or any other parts of the body. If your baby is normal again after falling you shouldn’t worry. Check for wounds, scars, bleeding, and fractures. If there are some minor cuts on the legs and hands and you can treat them at home by applying bandages and anti-bacterial cream. If there are any wounds you can apply ice packs to the affected area.

10. My baby ate food and vomited right after eating. What to do?

Babys vomit after eating food because you have fed them too much. Babies cannot digest extra food so they throw it off. Your baby will give you a sign that he is full by resisting the food or getting irritated or giving a loud burp. Don’t feed him if his stomach is already full. Toddlers eat only one-fourth of the meal we adults eat. And when it comes to babies from 6 to 12 months, half a cup of pureed or mashed food is more than enough. After 3 years your baby can talk and he will be able to tell you if his stomach is already full or not.