2 Year Old Swallowing Gum

You might have heard that swallowed gum stays in your stomach for 7 years. That's not true. Though your stomach can't break down a piece of gum the same way it breaks down other food, your digestive system can move it along through normal intestinal activity. In other words, it will come out the other end when your daughter poops. Swallowing a large mass of gum, or many small pieces of gum over a short period of time, can block the digestive tract in rare cases. Blockage is likely when gum is swallowed along with foreign objects, like coins, or when swallowed with nondigestible materials like sunflower seeds even though this is not the case here.
There have been reports such as this one published as well.

SWALLOWING CHEWING GUM CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO CHILDREN'S HEALTH
August 1998 - Swallowing chewing gum can cause numerous health problems and it should not be given to young children who cannot understand this point, according to pediatricians from Nemours Children's Clinic, Orlando Fla., who compiled case studies to illustrate the potential health hazards of chewing gum for small children. According to the study's authors, swallowing gum can cause many adverse health effects, including diarrhea, abdominal pain, flatulence, mouth ulcers, and dental and jaw problems, and is not recommended for young children. In addition, it can block the esophagus and colon. The first case study highlighted in the study is that of a 4-year-old boy with a two-year history of constipation. After numerous tests and different treatments, doctors discovered that his fecal matter largely consisted of chewing gum. On further investigation they learned that the boy always swallowed his gum, after chewing up to seven pieces each day. In another case, a 4-year-old girl suffered from complications from constipation. Again tests and treatment failed until doctors removed a fecal mass of chewing gum. The child had the habit of swallowing gum, often just to get another piece. The third case concerned a 1-year-old girl who drooled, coughed and had trouble swallowing. Doctors discovered four coins encased in chewing gum lodged in her esophagus. The study's authors note that children who show signs of chronic constipation or acute coughing and drooling should be examined to determine whether chewing gum has been swallowed.

In either case, chewing gum is not a good choice, try jelly beans....same consistency yet those are meant for swallowing.
You don't even have to tell her it's not gum in the event a tantrum may follow. Good luck.

C.,

Please stop giving your daughter gum, for her sake. I don't see any reason why a 2 year old would need to chew gum. I don't even let my 8 year old have gum, and I know that is extreme since when he was in Kindergarten he would always come home with gum from the class parties and I would take it and throw it away. It is just a bad habit to start. Sugared gum is sugar, and sugar free gum is full of artificial sweeteners which are not good for anybody, especially a little body.

So that is my radical opinion on the gum. Second, stop bribing her to get in the car. My 15 month old does this very same thing and I wait for a lull, then wrangle her into the seat. She screams and cries until I get the seatbelt on her, then I get in and off we go...she settles down right away after that. Now it is gum to pacify her, what will it be when she is 8 or 14 or worse yet 18? You are not asking her to do something unreasonable. She needs to learn that you are the authority figure, and what you say goes. It may be a hard thing to teach her now, but you will both be better off in the long run. No, it is not the easiest way, but it is the best way.

Trust me, if you take the easy way out now, you will have a monster on your hands later.

D. a mom of 5, ages 15 through 15 months

Seems to me your daughter has you right where she wants you. She throws a fit, you reward her with gum. Its working for her.
Stop the gum.

You are in charge, you are the mommy. Last time I checked I was stronger than both my kids. I can wrangle them in their seats in the rare instance they give me grief out it. They know I am the boss.
So they rarely ever give me an issue.
Change the way you deal with her, and she'll change the way she deals with you! :)

well Gum can be digested, just not as easily, and to be honest its not good for her, and could possibly cause intestinal blockage POSSIBLY,

I suggest carmel, and Chewable vitamins

http://www.drsearsfamilyapproved.com/shopexd.asp?id=13&am...
nougat candies they are soft and gum like

there are those soft creamy yougurt and strawberry chews

And Mentos are like Gum.

M

does your daughter like going places? most do! when my daughter used to do that, i'd stand by her carseat (faking calmness) and say "i'll wait..." and within a few seconds she'd just sit. i'd never give them gum at that age! why start bad habits??? good luck!

Well my dear the only reason your 2 yr old is swallowing gum is because mommie gives it to her....STOP! The only way to change our childrens behavior is to change ours...She is controlling you and it will definitely get worse as she ages...

Try bringing the car seat into the house, strapping her in it while you read a book to her. Feed her Dinner in it, put her in front of a Disney DVD movie sitting in that car seat. Get her use to the seat under different circumstances other than in the car! Most likely that is the problem, she hates it! Until she gets use to it, you can always strap her in it in the house, and then carry her to the car!

Back to the controlling behaviors, once again YOU MUST STOP...YOU are in control, NOT your 2 year old. If you don't show her now who the BOSS is, IT WILL BE WORSE!!!!!!!!

Once Children know they can use something (a certain behavior) to get what they want, they will USE it. And this gum thing, you started that, you stop that. I read the responses you got from other mothers, so far mine may be harsh, but guess what? Sometimes WE ALL NEED TO HEAR that from another MOTHER to realize the error of our ways: LOL...that is why we are on this site, to get other points of view! (oh, by the way, don't try lollipops or jellybeans either, stop BRIBING her to do what you as a parent want and need her to do) NO BRIBES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What are you going to buy her when she is SCREAMING at you at 14 years old when she wants to DATE, and you said NO??? She will not take you seriously then, because at 2 she does not take you seriously... NIP this in the BUTT NOW...

That being said, try my suggestions (IMMEDIATELY), GET RID OF THE GUM, don't even buy it! and try the Car Seat inside IT WILL WORK, TRUST ME... NO MORE BRIBES!!!!!!

YoU GO GIRL, YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!

C.

Instead of giving her the gum try telling her you are going to the park. You actually have to take her there. hehe Tell her if she wants to go play at the park she has to sit in her carseat. Make sure she knows she doesn't get to go anywhere fun if she doesn't get in her seat. After many trips for a day at the park and a picnic she'll eventually easily get in the carseat every time. Try to make grocery shopping trips fun too. Skip down the aisle, count cereal boxes, or tiles on the floor as you pass them. If she thinks it's always fun to go somewhere she will be willing to go. And make sure her seats straps aren't too tight. She shouldn't have room to move, but room to breath is good. ;)One more thing, consider getting her a toy that attaches to the carseat like a steering wheel, so the car is fun too.

I don't think a 2 year old should ever have gum, even a small amount. As far as bribing her, you are just encouraging the bad behaviour. She will never go in to her car seat willingly if you bribe her. The best way to do it is just to force her in. You are bigger and stronger then a 2 year old. My 2 year old fights me sometimes, doing the straight board thing, but I am stronger then him and just bend him in there and strap him in as quickly as possible. Once he's strapped in he can't do anything about it. He has learned that fighting me doesn't get him anywhere. That doesn't stop him from doing it from time to time but it's not all the time.

That being said, if you feel you must bribe, use stickers.

Hi C.,
My 2 year old was the same way with carseats...literally from the time she was born and we brought her home from the hospital she screamed each and every time she was put in her carseat...my pedi thought maybe it was because she was going in the carseat backwards...but she is now 2 and faces forward and still absolutely hates her carseat especially for long periods of time...She stiffins up like a board and it takes my all to get her buckled in...Maybe you can try lollipops instead of the gum..I get those mini dum-dum ones and they are great...perfect size for them...another thing I do is I have a CD of all kids songs...she has her favorites on it already like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star so I put that on and we all sing along....for the most part it does distract her when I am alone in the car with her....I also have plenty of books and small toys back there that are within her reach to keep her occupied....Hope this helps....Believe me I know how you feel....
Meg :)