If a child ate sand: what should parents do? Playing in the sandbox: at home and on the street What to do if a child goes sand

What to do if a child ate sand on the playground, inhaled sand, or sand got into the baby’s eyes, how to provide first aid to a child and whether you should worry in principle - read the doctor’s advice in our material. When, if not in the summer, children are most often in close contact with sand and earth - in sandboxes, on beaches, in nature. And not all children understand what they can put in their mouths and what they cannot. Therefore, the problem of sand getting into all the easily and hard-to-reach places of the baby is very relevant in the summer.

How to provide first aid to a child if he has eaten or inhaled sand, and if sand has gotten into his eyes, said Associate Professor of the Department of Pediatrics No. 2 of the National Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education named after P.L. Shupika, candidate of medical sciences Valentina Korneva.

If a child ate sand
If a child swallows sand, there is no need to panic and run for anthelmintic medications. First, you need to rinse his mouth: give the baby clean water to rinse his mouth. If the child is still too small and cannot do this on his own, wrap a cotton napkin soaked in water around your finger and wipe the child’s tongue and teeth.

If sand gets into a child's eyes
If sand gets into a child's eyes, rinsing is necessary. If active lacrimation or redness of the mucous membrane occurs, you should immediately seek specialized ophthalmological help.

If a child inhales sand
The situation is more complicated if a child, while playing on vacation, falls and inhales sand - this state of affairs sometimes requires emergency measures. Because children in this case may have impaired respiratory function, up to the occurrence of laryngospasm - spasm of the glottis.

What to do if a child inhales sand:

you urgently need to throw the child upside down over your arm and help him clear his throat with jerking movements,
rinse your mouth, face, nose, eyes with water,
if possible, drink water,
If the child continues to cough, seek medical attention immediately medical care, since there may be foreign bodies in the respiratory tract.

What to do if a child ate sand on the playground, inhaled sand, or sand got into the baby’s eyes, and whether you should worry in principle - read the doctor’s advice in our material.

When, if not in the summer, children are most often in close contact with sand and earth - in sandboxes, on beaches, in nature. And not all children understand what they can put in their mouths and what they cannot. Therefore, the problem of sand getting into all the easily and hard-to-reach places of the baby is very relevant in the summer.

If a child ate sand

If a child swallows sand, there is no need to panic and run for anthelmintic medications. First you need to rinse his mouth: give your baby clean water to rinse his mouth.

If the child is too young to do this on his own, wrap a cotton cloth soaked in water around your finger and wipe the child’s tongue and teeth.

During your next visit to the doctor, it is worth discussing with your local pediatrician the advisability of deworming. Most likely, he will recommend that you wait until the end of summer and the season of playing in the sandbox (because the likelihood that this was not the last time the child swallowed sand is quite high) and do tests for helminths.

If sand gets into a child's eyes, rinsing is necessary. If active lacrimation or redness of the mucous membrane occurs, you should immediately seek specialized ophthalmological help.

Doctor Komarovsky: What to do if a child gets sand in his eyes (VIDEO)

If a child inhales sand

The situation is more complicated if a child, while playing on vacation, falls and inhales sand - this state of affairs sometimes requires emergency measures.

Because in this case, children may have impaired respiratory function, up to the occurrence of laryngospasm - spasm of the glottis.

What to do if a child inhales sand:

you urgently need to throw the child upside down over your arm and help him clear his throat with jerking movements,
rinse your mouth, face, nose, eyes with water,
if possible, drink water,
If the child continues to cough, seek immediate medical attention as there may be foreign bodies in the respiratory tract.

Now you know what to do if your baby swallows sand on the playground or on the beach, or if sand gets into your child’s eyes or respiratory tract. The main thing is to remember that there is nothing terrible in this, and remain calm.

Childhood is a time for play. For many, it is associated with hopscotch, jumping rope, ball games and, of course, playing in the sand. The sandbox remains the most popular place on the playground for all kids - and today children of all ages flock to them, armed with buckets, shovels and molds.

Such a craving for pouring sand should only please parents: pediatricians around the world continue to insist that activities with bulk materials are excellent for developing fine motor skills.

Many mothers and fathers use the time when their child is enthusiastically playing in the sand as a kind of respite - an opportunity to sit quietly and breathe fresh air. However, why not have some fun with your beloved son or daughter? Kids, especially early age, do not yet have a very good idea of the possibilities that bulk material provides - their imagination is still just awakening.

Interesting and funny Games in a sandbox for children will leave a lot of pleasant impressions for mother and baby and will have a very beneficial effect on its development. The most important thing is to approach this with imagination.

Today, many parents buy home sandboxes for their children. Stores mostly sell tabletop ones intended for older children. three years. As a rule, they are distinguished by bright cases and pure white or yellow (and in some models even multi-colored) fine sand, and they are often accompanied by sets of toys and comfortable rugs, thanks to which the contents of the case will not be scattered throughout the apartment.

However, kids will certainly like the floor sandbox, which can even be made from plywood or sheets of plasterboard. It is enough to firmly fit the body parts to each other, make sure the pallet is strong, add carefully sifted river sand (to clear your conscience, you can even boil it) - your homemade and safe sandbox is ready! You can paint its walls with characters from your child’s favorite cartoon or decorate it with bright stickers, buy light, beautiful and convenient plastic equipment. The most important thing is to be prepared for frequent cleaning, since sand is a free-flowing and sticky material.

For children under three years old

Creative activity in early childhood is not yet so developed, but cognitive activity is quite developed. Therefore, games in the home sandbox at this stage are primarily associated with satisfying curiosity and developing tactile sensations. In the tabletop device, you can draw various figures with your fingers, transfer sand from palm to palm - this will help the baby get an idea of the properties of the material. You can even draw on clean sand with a spatula or a rake - the sooner the baby learns to use them, the better.

In a floor sandbox you can do the same thing, with the only difference that the surface area allows you to do other games: you can slightly moisten the sand and try to manipulate molds, make the first Easter cake, stomp, or even draw with your toes - such exercise will be wonderful prevention of flat feet.

For children over three years old

Junior and preschool childhood– it’s time for creativity, and in the sandbox you can do exciting things like this:

acting out scenes with toys included in the tabletop sandbox set;
construction of houses, castles;
construction of mountains, ravines, river beds (in a home sandbox it is very convenient to study the earth's topography);
playing kitchen, making pies, cakes, cookies;
drawing with a stick, creating pictures on colored sand.

If a child plays in a home sandbox, it is very important to teach him to clean up after himself. Children as young as 4 years old are able to fold and put away toys, sweep away and return spilled sand to its place. Using a broom and dustpan can become another exciting game for your baby.

Outdoor sandbox games

When visiting a children's playground, it is simply impossible to bypass the sandbox. Therefore, when going for a walk, you should stock up on the following items.

With a bucket. It is advisable to take a couple of different shapes, but you can get by with just one. The bucket should be light, have dimensions appropriate for the baby’s age and have a durable handle.
Scoop and rake. Again they may be different colors and sizes, however, it is not at all necessary to collect an overly large arsenal - the main thing is that the equipment is easy to use.
Molds. Modern sandbox toys have interesting shapes and bright colors. For children's games, it is advisable to purchase large toys - it will be easier for the baby to use just such toys.
Set of toy dishes. It seems that doll plates and cups can only be useful to girls, but often boys are happy to join in these kinds of games.
Various toy vehicles - dump trucks, excavators, boats, boats - will be very useful for boys: they will give them the opportunity to feel like real builders.
Toy animals and dolls made of plastic or rubber are perfect for role playing games and the construction of fairy-tale cities, but Plush Toys and doll beauties with long luxurious hair It's better to leave it at home.
Natural materials - pebbles, twigs, leaves, flowers and even shells (it is advisable to collect them in advance).
Water to wet the sand (with wet modeling material will go wherever more fun).

Of course, there is no need to take all these toys with you at once: it is better to plan all the games with your baby before the walk and take only what you need.

Up to three years

One year old and even two year old baby an outdoor sandbox can seem like a whole world filled with material with interesting properties. With children of this age you can play the following games:

“Poursing” - pouring sand from hand to hand, clenching a fist;
“Treasure hunt” - burying toys or coins in the sand and searching for them;
“Drawing competition” - creating paintings and applications in the sand;

“The Cheerful Confectioner” - sculpting Easter cakes, pastries and even whole cakes.

At this age, the child needs careful supervision: right now the urge to eat sand is stronger than ever.

After three years

Children over three years old in the sandbox are a separate issue. Often real passions boil there: redivision of territory, taking away molds and throwing sand. Eternal friendships and blood feuds are made here - at least until the next walk. However, there are games for the sandbox that will not only allow mother and baby to spend time with benefit and pleasure, but will also unite all the children who are here.

"City Construction". Buckets will be useful for constructing towers, shovels, molds and branches will be useful for constructing walls and laying bridges, toy dump trucks will provide the delivery of building materials, and animals and dolls will happily populate this fairy-tale city - so both boys and girls will have something to do.
“Cafe” Doll dishes and leaves will come in handy here. You can play the store in a similar way.
"Construction" is a game for real men. Digging pits, transporting sand, and building giant structures will appeal to little owners of cars and other toy equipment.
"Magic Garden". Finds application here natural material- twigs, flowers, stones. Each child can be assigned to create separate area– thickets, forest edges, lakes.

To make the games more fun, do not forget to regularly water the sand - this will make all the structures much more durable. It’s also a good idea to take a change of clothes for a walk: after such active games, children rarely look clean.

What to do if your child eats sand

It is hardly possible to find parents who have not encountered a rather frightening manifestation of childish spontaneity - tasting sand. You shouldn’t be surprised by the general desire of children to taste the contents of the sandbox: curiosity is one of the most powerful mechanisms that drives a child during this period, and cakes and Easter cakes made from sand can look so appetizing that it is impossible for the baby to hold on to it. The result of such research interest may be a mouthful of sand.

Parents who receive such a “surprise” from their beloved child should remain calm and calmly understand the situation. First of all, you need to take into account that there is hardly a baby who can eat sand, so to speak, to his heart’s content: it does not have a pleasant taste, it squeaks disgustingly on the teeth, and even the tongue can pinch and peel. Therefore, most often the amount eaten turns out to be very small, and parents are more frightened by the dirty face of their son or daughter, smeared to their ears in such “deliciousness.” However, this does not mean that the situation should be left without due attention.

Often parents are faced with a problem when their baby tries sand from the sandbox or takes a palmful of earth and puts it in his mouth. Why do children eat inedible things? Unfortunately, not every adult tries to understand the essence of the situation, find out the reasons and draw conclusions. In medicine, the desire to eat inedible objects is called geophagy. This behavior is considered normal when the child is 1.5-2 years old.

For a 1.5-2 year old child to taste the soil and sand - normal phenomenon

Why do children eat sand and soil?

What to do if a child eats sand or feasts on earth? What should the parents' reaction be? First, find out the reason for eating such substances. If your child has done this for the first time, then it’s too early to panic - kids are extremely inquisitive, so they study new subjects.

IN similar situation It is recommended that mom or dad calmly explain to the baby that there is no need to do this. You should not frighten him with the end of the walk, since in this way the baby shows a normal desire to understand the world around him. Experts are confident that this phenomenon will pass as they grow older.

Psychological reasons

Psychologists are of the opinion that eating sand is a consequence of certain psychological factors. This is what children who experience a lack of attention from their parents do. It is quite normal that as soon as a mother catches her child eating sand, she will immediately rush to save him. Similarly, children express their protest against the prohibitions of adults.

What to do to prevent this behavior in your baby? First, reconsider your time together while walking. Play more with your child, spend less time talking on the phone and communicating with other mothers on the playground.

Find something to keep your baby occupied so that he doesn’t have the desire to put foreign objects in his mouth.

Lack of useful minerals and substances in the body

Pediatricians say that the reason strange behavior crumbs is a lack of certain vitamins and minerals in the body. Thus, on an instinctive level, children make up for their deficiency.

If a baby eats sand, most likely there is not enough silicon in his body. An insufficient amount of this mineral can further provoke joint disease and even anemia. When the little one has eaten enough soil, this indicates a low hemoglobin content, iron deficiency and vitamin deficiency. In such a situation, you need to do the following:

undergo examination;
get tested;
find out how well the baby absorbs calcium;
consult your pediatrician.

What are the dangers of swallowing sand, earth, and stones?

A big threat is posed by debris: small pieces of glass, cigarette butts, small pebbles, hard paper, etc., which infest a sandbox or flowerbed. Eating sand is sometimes dangerous: the baby can choke or damage the mucous membrane of the mouth and teeth.

What to do if your baby eats sand or inhales it?

What to do if a child eats sand? Parents should not panic. The baby needs to rinse his mouth and give him clean water to drink. There is no need to immediately buy anthelmintic drugs or activated carbon. When a child has eaten sand, swallowing it in large quantities, he needs to be monitored for a couple of days. Most likely, the inedible substance will be released in full naturally.

If the baby has inhaled large quantities of grains of sand, they must be removed from the respiratory tract. The baby is placed on the adult's hand, head down, and lightly tapped on the back with the palm. After this, the baby should be given something to drink. It is necessary to consult a specialist when, after inhaling sand, a long cough, attacks of suffocation, vomiting, etc. continue.

If after eating the “delicacy” the baby’s condition worsens, you should consult a pediatrician

How to wean a child from eating inedible things?

Most often, eating inedible things does not become a systematic activity, but as soon as your baby eats sand again, try to distract him. Show him new toy, a cat running past, a plane in the sky. If you notice that such a child’s reaction was the result of your inattention to him, then show more care, put aside your worries, talk to the child, play games together.

You can satisfy your baby’s interest in bulk materials more safe methods– scatter on the table at home different types cereals and pasta. Play with these items, put them in piles, sort them, put them in jars or plates. Surely the child will appreciate this activity.

Concern should be expressed when a child eats inedible things, including sand, for an extended period of time. You need to contact specialists when this continues at a more conscious age, if your child is 3-5 years old.

Dear parents, if suddenly, while out for a walk, you notice that your child has grabbed a handful of sand from the sandbox, do not panic, just rinse your child’s mouth with water and give him something to drink. Of course, you will think about giving your child anthelmintic drugs, or at least activated carbon. But if you think about it, during the walk the baby has already licked his hands more than once, or some toys from the same sandbox. Therefore, it turns out that a certain set of “microbes” has already been delivered to the body; Well, don’t feed your child pills after every walk.

So you don’t need to be scared, but you shouldn’t ignore this fact either. Be sure to keep an eye on your baby for a couple of days (to see if he feels nauseous, if he has a fever, if there is mucus or green stuff in his stool), if so, go straight to the doctor.

From the first days of his birth, a little man learns to explore the world around him, looking at it, squeezing a colorful rattle with a tiny hand, touching it, reacting to every sound, growing up a little, he learns the surrounding reality through playing with peers. After all play activity she is the leader in the baby’s life. Sometimes it can be difficult to explain to a restless toddler why you shouldn’t put everything in your mouth. The baby can only detect his mother’s dissatisfaction by the intonation of her speech and facial expressions.

From the age of one, almost all children love to frolic in the sandbox. However, not all parents like the idea of a child crawling in the sand. After all, as a rule, sand fun turns into sand rain after a couple of minutes - sand pours from shoes, clothes, from the head and quite often ends up in the mouth. What to do in a situation where a baby accidentally eats sand?

In medical practice, eating sand is referred to as geophagy (sometimes a similar symptom can be observed in pregnant women, but we are talking about children now). Perhaps your child is hungry or thirsty, watch if he pulls sand from the scoop into his mouth like a spoon, then it’s time for the baby to have lunch.

The easiest way is to go for a walk in the sandbox with a pacifier in your mouth. However this is not The best way, since a pacifier can cause addiction in a baby, which will be quite difficult to get rid of. Alternatively, try avoiding sandboxes. But keep in mind that you risk encountering this problem a little later. According to psychologists, the main thing is consistency of goals. Every time you see that the child is about to put sand in his mouth, try to distract him. Likewise, over time, your child will lose interest in his favorite “dish.” This method turns out to be more effective if the child is sanding because of prohibitions.

If a child has a love for eating sand three years old, at the same time, he tries to put a brick in his mouth or chew clay, there is a possibility that he has low hemoglobin and does not have enough calcium in his body. Reveal the real reason A detailed blood test and consultation with a pediatrician will help.

How should parents of a child who eats sand behave?

If your baby constantly puts sand in his mouth, he is most likely going through a period of acute sensitivity and a craving for sand. small items. Approach the issue of re-education from a psychological perspective. Play games with water at home, let the baby pour water from the beads into a bucket, together with him sort out the cereals on the floor - beans, pasta, city, let the baby focus on the process and sort them. In addition, such a useful activity is often practiced in centers early development child, since it is focused on the methodology of a famous teacher in preschool education M. Montesori. Such activities can develop the child’s perseverance, fine motor skills and curiosity.

How Alternative option playing in the sand - walks in the park. Take a walk in the park for a while, play active games with your child, give free rein to his movements, if the child shows interest in cubes and various puzzles, take cubes and a pyramid with you for a walk, and instead of your child digging in the sand, put them together with him is a house made of cubes, a pyramid. In the game, it is extremely important to support the child and praise him for his first achievements. Be loyal and patient about the education process. After a while you will see for yourself that bad habits disappear on their own.