What do you do? Who should you call?
New research suggests that a decades-old home remedy of sorts known as
the “mother’s kiss” may do the trick. It’s also a lot less invasive or
frightening than some of the tools and techniques used in emergency rooms.
What Is the “Mother’s Kiss”?
First described in 1965, here’s how the mother’s kiss technique works:
- The parent or caretaker places their mouth over their child’s mouth while holding the unaffected nostril closed with one finger.
- The parent or caretaker blows into the child’s mouth.
- The breath may force the object out.
The new study analyzed results from eight published reports where
caregivers used the mother’s kiss on children aged 1 to 8. All in all, the
technique was effective with no complications. The success rate approached 60%.
The findings appear in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
First, Do No Harm
Nina Shapiro, MD, of Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA in Los Angeles,
says it is fairly common for young children to place items in their noses as
well as in their ears and mouths. “It can work,” she says of the mother's kiss.
“It is more important that there were no adverse events such as bleeding or
pushing the object further up the nostril.” According to the findings of this
study, “the worst thing that can happen is that it doesn't work.”
Robert Glatter, MD, is cautious about where and when the mother’s kiss
should be performed. He is an emergency medicine doctor at Lenox Hill Hospital
in New York City. Don’t try this without medical supervision, he says.
“Children feel comfortable and are not threatened with this removal technique
that we commonly utilize in the emergency department,” he says. It’s always
best to do this in the presence of a doctor in case the object goes into the
lungs. “This is rare, but could occur.”
If it works, there is no need for sedation or hooks, forceps, or suction
to remove the objects. In an emergency room, Glatter first finds out if parents
are open to this approach. “The mom has to be brave,” he says. “Some parents
want to try it and others are scared of it.” Discuss the mother’s kiss with
your pediatrician for specific instructions and safeguards.
http://children.webmd.com/news/20121015/mothers-kiss-expel-foreign-objects-kids-noses
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