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Parents bring in their child who placed a bead, seed, or other object up her nose. What do you do? Who should you call?
Research suggests that a decades-old home remedy (of sorts) known as the “mother’s kiss” may do the trick for children 1-8 years of age. It’s also much less invasive or frightening than some of the tools and techniques used in emergency departments with a success rate approaching 60%
What Is the “Mother’s Kiss”?
First described in 1965, here’s how the mother’s kiss technique works:
- The parent or caretaker places their mouth over their child’s mouth while holding the unaffected nostril closed with one finger.
- The parent or caretaker blows into the child’s mouth.
- The forceful breath may force the object out (warning: may want to wear protective covering as other things have been known to fly out as well!)
Reference:
Cook S, Burton M, Glasziou P. Efficacy and safety of the "mother's kiss" technique: a systematic review of case reports and case series. CMAJ.2012 Nov 20;184(17):E904-12. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.111864. Epub 2012 Oct 15.