Big drop in child surgery for swallowed objects

Fewer kids are choking on coins—digital payments may be why

Anyone who has spent time around a young child knows how quickly loose change can become a serious hazard. Coins—especially the embattled penny—make up roughly 61 percent of the foreign objects ingested by children under the age of five. Swallowed coins can become lodged in a child’s airway or get stuck in their digestive tract, either of which can be life-threatening if not promptly addressed. But recent research from the The Royal College of S…

29pc drop in children putting coins in mouth and nose since 2012

In the past, coins have been established as one of the most commonly ingested foreign bodies

Huge drop in children putting coins in mouth and nose for odd reason

In the past, coins have been established as one of the most commonly ingested foreign bodies

Cashless society drives drop in children swallowing coins, researchers say

Analysis found far fewer children are now needing hospital procedures to remove objects from throats, noses and airways.

Hardly anyone wants to abolish cash anymore. Why do fewer and fewer people still use it in everyday life? Searching for traces with HSG researcher Tobias Trütsch.