Question
There are two pieces of glass shards in the can. The child accidentally swallowed them while eating, and is worried that the glass shards might enter the brain or affect intelligence and brain development.
Answer
Glass shards entering a child’s body can cause gastrointestinal injury, but usually do not harm the brain or affect intelligence. As long as the shards do not enter the trachea, there is generally no need to worry excessively. Glass shards typically pass out of the body with stool and do not melt within the body. It is recommended to eat bananas and vegetables and fruits to promote defecation and help remove foreign objects from the body. If abdominal pain is experienced, it should be checked immediately to determine if it is due to an obstruction or injury to the gastrointestinal tract caused by the foreign object, and an ultrasound or X-ray examination may be required to track the location of the shard.