December 20, 2024, 4:25 p.m.
Children love to explore — and, unfortunately, sometimes that means sticking something in their own ears to see what happens. So if this happens to your child, is it an emergency? It depends on the object.
Something such as a piece of cereal will probably partially dissolve and fall out on its own. Other things, such as a piece of a crayon, a bead or small toys, will need a doctor, who can remove them with special tools.
There are items that would warrant immediate attention. Button batteries can cause burns, and beans and water beads, when wet, can swell and block hearing. Do not put water in your child’s ear to try and flush any of these out. You should go to the Emergency Department to seek care.
St. Louis Children’s Hospital has six pediatric Emergency Department locations across the St. Louis and southern Illinois region. These include St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital at Memorial Hospital Belleville, Children’s Hospital at Memorial Hospital Shiloh, Children’s Hospital at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, Children’s Hospital at Northwest HealthCare and Children’s Hospital at Progress West Hospital.
