My baby ate silica gel beads!

[Alstrameria]

And the worst mother of the year award goes to.....ME.

I think she may have eaten a few beads. I'm not even sure, I just found the package had been chewed.

Will this hurt her? She's 8 months and 22 lbs.

[spero]

Don't worry.

Question: What is harmful about silica gel?
Answer: Silica gel is not toxic to humans. There is a warning sign on the packaging because it is considered a choking hazard. If children accidentally ingest silica gel, gently wipe out their mouth and give them something to drink to take away the bad taste.

http://www.ncpoisoncenter.org/Consumers/Questions.cfm

[Alstrameria]

Oh thank you!!

[nonnymoose]

One of my coworkers is addicted to beef jerky and recently ate the silica in the package he was working on ("I noticed that the jerky was awfully crunchy..." ) He's a lot bigger than your DD (774 months and 230 pounds ), but he *did* eat the entire bag of the stuff. He was a little worried, but didn't have any problems other than diarrhea, and that may have been a side effect of the jerky.

[Alstrameria]

He ate the whole thing? :LOL

[nonnymoose]

He didn't really *mean* to eat the silica, but the little packet was torn open. He just didn't notice it till he was down to the nasty salty crumbs at the bottom of the bag. Bleah.

[cek]

talk to your doctor

I think you should check with your doctor. Why take a chance, just make a phone call...

[mum2tori]

DD did that too. Not a problem at all. The woman at Poison Control said it's one of the most common calls they get. Just wipe her mouth out and give her some fluids.

You aren't the worst mommy.

[broodymama]

I'm glad to find out more info on this, I had always wondered. My cat ate a package of silica gel about a year ago, he was find but it scared the crap out of me! Since then I've started keeping the trash can in the pantry.

[mbmason]

Didn't she read the little thing on the package that says Do Not Eat?

Glad she is okay!

[bunny's mama]

this is a really good place to say to all the parents here:

go NOW to your yellow pages and look up the number for your local poison control center. write it down in big block letters and TAPE it ON your phone.

and always call poison control right away when you suspect your child MAY have swallowed something that MAY be harmful. there is no harm in calling, they are really nice folks there and most of the time, you'll get your mind set at ease quickly by someone who has so much information at his or her fingertips. the mamas here know so much, but please don't take any chances, call poison control immediately.

public service announcement over.
bunny's mama (who called poison control just this morning when bunny took an opened blister-pac of visiting grandma's cancer medicine out of the trash can and told me she took the pills herself)