Question
A 2-year-old boy accidentally swallowed a one-cent coin yesterday. How should this be handled?
Answer
According to the description, if a child accidentally swallows a hard coin, as the coin is not very large and has a smooth surface, it usually does not cause gastrointestinal injury. The coin may pass through the gastrointestinal tract and be naturally excreted. It is recommended to take the child to a hospital’s digestive internal medicine department for an abdominal X-ray examination to confirm the position of the coin. In daily life, observe carefully and encourage the child to eat more vegetables to help expel the coin.