Can Small Children Be Gived Chewing Gum?

Medical Video: What Happens If You Accidentally Swallow A Chewing Gum?

Chewing gum is one of the sweetest foods that small children love. The taste is sweet and can be made like a balloon attracting the attention of small children to try it. However, sometimes it can also harm small children who chew it. Therefore, chewing gum is one of the concerns of parents.

Can small children be given gum?

Sure it is allowed. However, if not given special attention, chewing gum can harm the child. Why? Children sometimes do not understand that chewing gum must be thrown away instead of being swallowed. The child may assume that everything that enters his mouth can be swallowed like food. That is a concept taught to children since children start receiving solid food. He may not think that gum is different, so it cannot be swallowed. This is then what can endanger the child.

The risk of giving gum to young children

According to Susan Moores, a dietist at St. Paul, Minnesota, children should wait until they are 4 years old to be able to safely give gum, as reported by the Baby Center. Children who are 4 years old generally understand the concept of chewing without swallowing, such as when chewing gum.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends that gum should not be given to younger children because they do not really understand that gum is not to be swallowed. A study shows that children who often swallow gum can cause health problems, such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, stomach upset, mouth ulcers, and dental and jaw problems. Swallowing gum can also cause choking and clogging the intestines.

Also, give the child half a piece of gum in a small size and choose a gum that contains a little sugar. Chewing gum that contains too much sugar can cause tooth decay in children.

What happens when a child swallows gum?

Chewing gum is made from natural or synthetic or artificial ingredients, such as gum, preservatives, flavorings, and sweeteners. The body can absorb sweeteners when chewing gum, causing an increase in calories in the body from the gum sweetener.

Meanwhile, gum gum cannot be absorbed or broken down by the body. So, if gum is swallowed into the body, the shape does not change at all. This gum then passes through the digestive tract with the help of peristalsis in the intestine. Next, gum is released in the body.

However, sometimes, gum can be trapped in the body. Swallowing chewing gum in a large size or amount for a certain period of time makes the amount of gum that gets into the body a lot. This can clog the digestive tract. However, in fact this case is rare.

Besides being able to clog the digestive tract, ingesting gum can also cause:

Risk of choking. When a child tries to swallow gum, the child can risk choking. The stretchy and clayy texture of gum makes gum more difficult to swallow than food.
Changes in bowel habits. The child may experience changes in bowel habits when he has swallowed large amounts of gum. The International Chewing Gum Association said that sugar-free gum generally contains artificial sweeteners, such as sorbitol and maltitol. These artificial sweeteners will not interfere with the digestive system when consumed in small amounts. However, when consumed in large quantities, artificial sweeteners can cause diarrhea. In addition, swallowing gum can also cause constipation or constipation because gum cannot be digested. So, in the end the gum is in the lower gastrointestinal tract until bowel movements occur to remove it.

Conclusion

It is best to wait for your child to understand that gum must be removed from the mouth after chewing (not to be swallowed), then you can allow your child to try gum. Approximately wait until the child is 4 years or older.

After you allow the child to chew gum too, you still have to pay attention to it. Chewing gum too often is not good for children's health, especially the health of their teeth and gums. Chewing gum that contains lots of sugar can cause cavities in children. While sugar-free gum can also cause diarrhea because it contains sorbitol. However, sugar-free gum is better than many sugar chewing gum. You only have to limit your consumption no more than once a day.

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