A foreign body - any object that is not meant to be there - is a common occurrence in the airways and openings of small children. Dr Chris Brown gives advice

Growing children explore objects with their fingers and mouths, and prod their own ears and noses while holding objects in their hands. The list of foreign bodies encountered in various openings of children's bodies is almost endless, but a bead stuck in the ear, a button lodged up the nose or the coin that is swallowed, can cause alarm in both the child and the parent.

Objects in the eye
A speck of dust or loose eyelash can float on the white of the eye - and is easily removed. This can be by washing out with a small glass of clean water, or lifting the object off with a moist corner of a tissue or a handkerchief. However, anything that sticks to the eye, or rests on the coloured part of the eye, should not be touched or removed. Cover the eye, if necessary, and seek medical advice.

Objects in the ear canal
These are most common in children between the ages of two and four years, and can be anything a child can push into his or her ear. Commonly found objects include food, insects (which may fly into the ear), toys, buttons, pieces of crayon and small batteries. Some objects placed in the ear may not cause any symptoms, while other objects - like food and insects - may cause pain in the ear, redness or some discharge. Hearing may be affected if the object blocks the ear canal.

The usual treatment is to seek medical help straight away. It is helpful to realise, however, that the object is unlikely to do any harm if left alone for a short while - so there is usually no need to act hastily. Do remember that the deeper structures in the ear are very sensitive and delicate, so you should not attempt to remove any foreign object with an implement or a finger.

'Buzzing' or 'moving' insects can be very distressing, and manuals of first aid do suggest that these can sometimes be removed by floating them out - supporting the head on one side with the affected ear uppermost, then gently flooding the ear with tepid water, so that the insect floats out. It is best that this treatment is only carried out when the insect has first been seen, by viewing the ear canal with a torch.

Objects in the nose
Children often push objects up their noses because they are bored, curious or copying other children. They often don't admit to parents that they have put something up their nose and the first indications may be an offensive nasal discharge or a bad odour from just one side of the nose.

The most common objects are soft things, but apart from foodstuffs and pieces from a bath sponge, beads, pebbles, pencil rubbers and parts from toys are quite popular. Once again, unless the object is recognised and can be seen to be easily removable, you must not try to extricate it.

Treatment should be carried out by a doctor, since attempts to use any form of implement could dislodge the object and cause damage to deeper structures, or even cause it to be inhaled into the airways.

Objects in the airway
The greatest danger of choking on small objects is between the ages of seven months and four years. Children do tend to put things into their mouths when they are bored or curious, they then inhale deeply and the object may become lodged in the 'airway' tube instead of the 'eating' tube.

Food itself may cause a blockage if it hasn't been chewed enough, or because in younger children complete coordination of mouth and tongue actions has not yet developed. Dry peanuts, which swell up when in contact with body fluids, pose a particular danger to young children as they can be inhaled into the lungs causing serious damage. Usually, immediate medical attention is necessary.

Common symptoms:

• Choking or gagging when the object is first inhaled
• Coughing suddenly, and violently
• Wheezing - the whistling sound heard when the child breaths out

Further symptoms: although the initial symptoms may subside, the foreign body may still be causing an obstruction in the airway, and in this case further symptoms can occur:

• Stridor - a high-pitched sound heard as the child breaths
• Coughing that gets worse
• Difficulty speaking
• A complaint of pain in the throat or chest
• Blueness around the lips
• Breathing difficulties, which may worsen

Treatment of the problem will vary with the degree of airway blocking, but urgent medical attention is usually necessary in all cases of suspected inhalation of foreign bodies.

Ingested foreign bodies
A frequent problem in the six-months to three-years age group is the swallowing of various objects, particularly coins. However, up to 90 per cent of all ingested foreign bodies that reach the stomach will pass spontaneously - usually within a five-day period. In these situations it's best to wait and then inspect all bowel movements.

Even sharp objects such as safety pins or straight pins may pass through the bowel spontaneously without any complications, but such objects can be removed surgically if they remain in the upper part of the gut.

If a fish bone is stuck in a child's throat, and does not clear after an hour, you should consult a doctor. Sometimes, even when the bone moves, it leaves an uncomfortable scratch for a while which will seem to the child that it is still present. Opaque objects, such as coins, are accurately localised and observed with X-rays.

Vaginal foreign bodies
Usually, as with objects in the nose, the main symptom is a foul-smelling, offensive discharge - sometimes with a small amount of bleeding. The removal of the objects (by a doctor) is generally not a problem, there will not be any long-term problems and the recovery is usually very speedy and complete.