[Polaris (OP)]

Hi,

My one year old son just swallowed the broken part from a lenovo computer.
this small part is near the start botton up left. I should not have let him play the laptop anymore this the joint between screen and keyboard looked already broken. but he saw the small broken part first and might eat it.
we directly went to Doctor. she said since it was so small it will pass throug and asked us to observe if he behaves unusual. 

my concern is the part itself. it looks metal first but actually plastic painted metal brown color. is it poisonous paint or the plastic is poisonous as well?

any answers will be appreciated.

a guilty mom

[CliffordK]

I hope they aren't using lead based paints on the keyboards because I tend to rub the paint off the keys every few years, although simple transfer to the fingertips would be a very low dose.  I think my black Lenovo had mostly molded black plastic, whereas Dell's silver colored laptops were painted, thus less to rub off or digest.

At this point there isn't a lot you can do, and anything you would do to fix it would likely be far more traumatic to the kid than the actual part traveling through the digestive system.  I would expect the plastic to be fairly inert.  Perhaps the surface of any metal will be dissolved.  Many minerals are nutrients in low doses.

I assume you're still using diapers.  It wouldn't hurt to wash and strain your diapers so you can verify that you get the part back in a few days.  Once you get it, clean it up and post the photo   []  Then you can install it back on the computer.

Make sure the stomach doesn't start feeling painful, tight, distended, or the child doesn't significantly change eating or bowel habits.  If something seems off, call your doctor, or take your kid to the ER.

I am seeing notes about ingested nickel and rashes.  Perhaps something else to watch out for.

[Polaris (OP)]

I hope they aren't using lead based paints on the keyboards because I tend to rub the paint off the keys every few years, although simple transfer to the fingertips would be a very low dose.  I think my black Lenovo had mostly molded black plastic, whereas Dell's silver colored laptops were painted, thus less to rub off or digest.

At this point there isn't a lot you can do, and anything you would do to fix it would likely be far more traumatic to the kid than the actual part traveling through the digestive system.  I would expect the plastic to be fairly inert.  Perhaps the surface of any metal will be dissolved.  Many minerals are nutrients in low doses.

I assume you're still using diapers.  It wouldn't hurt to wash and strain your diapers so you can verify that you get the part back in a few days.  Once you get it, clean it up and post the photo   []  Then you can install it back on the computer.

Make sure the stomach doesn't start feeling painful, tight, distended, or the child doesn't significantly change eating or bowel habits.  If something seems off, call your doctor, or take your kid to the ER.

I am seeing notes about ingested nickel and rashes.  Perhaps something else to watch out for.

thank you so much for the fast reply. i am exactly worried about the same thing, lead.
but its not a key from keyboard. its a small broken part under the start botton. its usually inside the laptop, we can only see it since my laptop is broken. i will try to post a photos of it later.
up to now hes still normal and playing. i have been looking intensively at each diaper. nothing seen yet. what if it doesnt come out in a few days. actually we are even not sure if he really ate it or lost it as he tried to. i thought it couldnt be anything other than food until i found other broken parts of the laptop.  at first we called the emergency Hotline and they said to be sure, we need to do x ray in hospital. hospital Doctor said no need. i am really afraid of the unknown. hope and pray he will be fine always.

[CliffordK]

If it is plastic, it may be difficult to find on the X-Ray.  If it is metal, it may show up.  However, your ER doc is probably right.  Finding it on X-Ray won't change your treatment or prognosis.  If he was to get a blockage or perforation, then you would deal with it at that time.

[David Cooper]

I doubt that anything from a company of any size sold in the West these days would have lead paint on it - it would ruin their business as soon as that came out. It's highly unlikely it'll do any harm at all, but if it's an awkward shape it could get stuck. There is a man (see the Guinness Book of Records) who ate a car and then a small aeroplane, chopping them up into little bits first and then swallowing them, and none of the metals and plastics involved in that appear to have done him much harm, although it's hard to assess any impacts on his mental health as he must have been barking long before he did this.

In short, don't worry, but look out for signs of trouble just in case it gets stuck somewhere in the narrower tubing.

[syhprum]

I think apart from size causing a blockage the only thing that would cause poisoning would be a battery they are real dangerous to injest

[David Cooper]

Swallowing a button battery can be fatal - there's a coating been developed for them which should stop them conducting (and short-circuiting in the stomach) unless they're pressed hard by metal contacts, but it may be a while before they become available (and more importantly universal).

[Polaris (OP)]

I think apart from size causing a blockage the only thing that would cause poisoning would be a battery they are real dangerous to injest

thank you. it has been the fourth day and he didnt have anything abnormal. blockage shouldnot be possible or? in addition i just took the photo of the broken part of the lenovo. do you know what kind of paint could that be? looking brown redish. why did lenovo bother to paint a plastic part to a shiny metal color? because ive heard certain metal that can prevent fire?

[Polaris (OP)]

I think apart from size causing a blockage the only thing that would cause poisoning would be a battery they are real dangerous to injest

thank you. it has been the fourth day and he didnt have anything abnormal. blockage shouldnot be possible or? in addition i just took the photo of the broken part of the lenovo. do you know what kind of paint could that be? looking brown redish. why did lenovo bother to paint a plastic part to a shiny metal color? because ive heard certain metal that can prevent fire?

Swallowing a button battery can be fatal - there's a coating been developed for them which should stop them conducting (and short-circuiting in the stomach) unless they're pressed hard by metal contacts, but it may be a while before they become available (and more importantly universal).

could you please have a look at the two photos i uploaded? the broken part has shiny surface. not sure of what material, and why.

[David Cooper]

There are lots of toys made out of materials that look the same as that, so you can't tell much just by looking. The odds are though that a big company will not be putting out machines covered in toxic materials, even if a computer is not a toy - it would destroy their reputation if they were found to be doing so. If you're in any doubt though, perhaps you could try putting another bit of the same material into various chemicals to see how robust it is. Perhaps the chemists here could make better suggestions as to which chemicals to try, but fizzy water might be a good starting point - leave it in fizzy water overnight and then see if it has degraded in any way. Perhaps you could taste the water once it's gone flat and see if it has a nasty taste. I doubt you'll get anything out of the material at all, but a null result would be good in this case.

[CliffordK]

I'm having troubles identifying what is missing, other than  perhaps some screws to hold it all together.  The hole is designed for a lock.

Anyway, after 4 days, and nothing coming out, and no changes in bowel movements, or signs of distress.  I'm wondering if he didn't actually swallow anything. 

Even if you could destroy the part in vinegar, or muriatic acid, it doesn't mean that it was actually toxic.  A little dissolved iron might be good for a child.

At this point, you can keep watching the BMs for a couple more days, but otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it.

[Polaris (OP)]

hey, its been fifth day and his stoolgang seems fully normal except yesterday one a little bit soft or liquid. other tens times were all fine. by keeping watching diaper, do you mean i should check if some little part came out or just see if its still normal? im also wondering, perhaps he didnt swallow and im waiting for nothing.

[Polaris (OP)]

hey, its been fifth day and his stoolgang seems fully normal except yesterday one a little bit soft or liquid. other tens times were all fine. by keeping watching diaper, do you mean i should check if some little part came out or just see if its still normal? im also wondering, perhaps he didnt swallow and im waiting for nothing.

hey, its been fifth day and his stoolgang seems fully normal except yesterday one a little bit soft or liquid. other tens times were all fine. by keeping watching diaper, do you mean i should check if some little part came out or just see if its still normal? im also wondering, perhaps he didnt swallow and im waiting for nothing.

[Polaris (OP)]

There are lots of toys made out of materials that look the same as that, so you can't tell much just by looking. The odds are though that a big company will not be putting out machines covered in toxic materials, even if a computer is not a toy - it would destroy their reputation if they were found to be doing so. If you're in any doubt though, perhaps you could try putting another bit of the same material into various chemicals to see how robust it is. Perhaps the chemists here could make better suggestions as to which chemicals to try, but fizzy water might be a good starting point - leave it in fizzy water overnight and then see if it has degraded in any way. Perhaps you could taste the water once it's gone flat and see if it has a nasty taste. I doubt you'll get anything out of the material at all, but a null result would be good in this case.

i will try to do that. actually my husband already thought im thinking way too much.but it feels just like a fish bone at throat.

[ScientificSorcerer]

I wouldn't worry about it, it's not like he swallowed some batteries or something.

He will be just fine []

[Polaris (OP)]

I wouldn't worry about it, it's not like he swallowed some batteries or something.

He will be just fine []

thank you! as so many days passed by and he seems fine, i dont worry so much anymore, still checking up on his po though.😊