Kids and foreign objects

Sometimes your child might tell you that there’s a foreign object stuck somewhere. Other times it can be hard to know.

Learn more about signs and symptoms to help identify if there's a blockage.

First aid for stuck foreign objects.

**If the stuck object is a button battery or something that can swell up — such as a bean — it is a medical emergency. You should go straight to the emergency department or call Triple Zero (000) for an ambulance.

For an object stuck in the ear:

• You can try and tilt the child’s head on its side, so the blocked ear is facing downwards. GENTLY shake the head to see if the object falls out. DO NOT bang or tap their head or shake it hard.
• If there is an insect in the ear, you may try and lie the child on their side with the blocked ear facing upwards and pour a little warm water into the ear, to see if the insect floats out.
• If those techniques don’t work, take the child to the GP or Urgent Care clinic.
• DO NOT try to poke in the ear or use tweezers to grab the object as you risk pushing the object further in.

For an object stuck in the nose:

• If possible, identify which nostril is blocked and what the object is.

*If the object is a button battery or something that can swell up — such as a bean — it is a medical emergency. You should go straight to the emergency department or call Triple Zero (000) for an ambulance.

• Try to calm the child if they are upset, as they may sniff the object further up when crying.
• If the child is old enough to understand, ask them to breathe through their mouth, not their nose.
• If the child is old enough to understand, cover the nostril that is NOT blocked and ask the child to blow out through their nose to try and blow the object out.
• Take the child to the Urgent Care clinic or emergency department if the child is not able to blow it out.
• DO NOT try to poke the object out as you may push it further up.

For partial blockage of the throat:

• Try to encourage the child to cough, provided they can still breathe, as this may help clear the blockage.
• If they are struggling to breathe, Call Triple Zero (000) for an ambulance and give back blows (see the “Choking” first responder guide for further instructions).

For full blockage of the throat (Choking):

• Call Triple Zero (000) for an ambulance and commence back blows and chest thrusts (see the “Choking” first responder guide for detailed instructions).

For an object or substance in the eyes:

• Try to rinse the eye with water.
• Don’t try to pick anything out of the eye and tell your child not to rub it.
• Take the child to the GP, Urgent Care clinic or emergency department if the eye is sore, irritated or you suspect something is in the eye.

*If your child has, or you suspect they may have, an object stuck in another part of the body, take them to the emergency department.