Why do children stick things in their noses, ears or eyes?
Some babies, toddlers and young children put small objects into their ears, noses or eyes out of curiosity. They’re experimenting with the world around them and learning what happens when they try different things.
Children under 4 years are most at risk of inserting small things into their ears, noses, eyes or mouths.
If you think your child has something stuck in their nose, eye, ear or other body opening, seek medical advice. Don’t try to remove the object yourself because this could cause further injury.
What is your child likely to stick in their nose, ears or eyes?
- Foods like popcorn, dried peas, watermelon seeds, nuts and chocolate with nuts
- Marbles, buttons, beads and pen lids
- Polystyrene balls found in bean bags and stuffed toys − these can be inhaled and don’t show up on X-rays
- Coins
- Small batteries, including button batteries or products that contain them
- Toys with removable eyes or noses and toys with other small parts, like Lego
- Needles, pins and safety pins
- Magnets, including small strong magnets
How to stop your child from sticking things in their nose, ears or eyes
It’s important to try to identify and avoid or manage risky situations ahead of time.
Tips to help
- Keep objects smaller than a 20-cent coin out of sight and reach of your child.
- Supervise your child while they eat. Take extra care if they’re eating small items like chopped up vegetables, peas, popcorn, small lollies and so on. Your child might experiment with sticking these into ears or noses.
- Avoid play with small beads.
- Teach older siblings that your child’s ears and nose are delicate – they’re not for poking things into.
- Check the floor and low tables for pieces of jewellery, small blocks like Lego, pen lids and other small objects.
- Use pins with a safety catch, and keep them closed when you’re not using them. Also avoid putting safety pins in your mouth, because your child might copy you.
- Check toys regularly for broken or loose parts.
What are the signs that your child has stuck something in their nose, ears or eyes?
Sometimes your child might tell you that there’s a foreign object stuck somewhere. Other times it can be hard to know. It’s good to look out for the signs below and see your GP, even if you’re not sure.
Signs of something stuck in the nose
Your child might have:
- pain or itchiness around their nose
- a smelly discharge from one nostril
- bleeding from the nose
- bad breath.
Signs of something stuck in the ear
Your child might have:
- an earache (but not all stuck objects cause earache)
- skin discolouration in or around the ear
- discharge from the ear
- reduced hearing.
Signs of something stuck in the eye
Your child might blink a lot or have:
- something in their eye or rub the eye a lot
- pain in the eye
- a weeping, red eye
- pain when looking at a light.
Although children rarely stick things in their eyes on purpose, they can unintentionally poke themselves or rub foreign substances into their eyes. Items that get trapped are often found in the conjuctiva, between the eyeball and the eyelid.
If an object or piece of food gets stuck in your child’s throat, your child is at risk of choking. Our illustrated guides to choking first aid for babies and choking first aid for children and teens explain what to do in this situation. If your child is having difficulty breathing, call 000 for an ambulance.