# Parents of children who've eaten long cotton or string



## smurff

First of all sorry but this is gonna be indepth of my daughters pull up. My daughter is 4 and in pull ups, she's autistic and not potty trained as yet. 
She has just had a dirty bum so as I took her pull up off I noticed the poop was stuck between her cheeks, I wiped and noticed it was stuck there because there was a long bit of string /cotton inside it. I pulled it away and carried on wiping and as I did the whole of it came out in 1 piece, I'd say about just under half was still inside her as I pulled it out. 
I'm worried now that it may not have been string or cotton and I don't know what it is, I'm worried I've done damage by pulling it out, she did say ow as I did it. 
I did find her the other day with a long bit of cotton in her mouth that she had pulled out of a cushion. Do you think she needs to be seen at hospital? Is it normal to come out like that when eating cotton/string. She's not in any pain at all


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## kellyc1987

Sorry I have no experience of my son eating string/cotton but I just had a quick look online and came across a forum post where a woman was saying pretty much the same as you, she had to pull the string out of her daughters bottom (on a regular basis) and the doctor didn't seem too concerned about it getting stuck etc

Link

My LO did take a bite of my birthday card which had sequins on it and I took him to the hospital because I was totally freaking out as I always seem to imagine the worst possible scenario! We waited 3hrs to be told that it was 100% nothing to worry about


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## Teri7489

I would keep an eye on her to make sure she isn't eating things she shouldn't be (might be helpful to look up a disorder known as PICA) It's unlikely you will have done any damage pulling it unless it was hard or stuck and you used force. I've had to on several occasions pull very longs hairs from my daughter bums whilst changing her bum. She's plays with her hair to fall asleep and either plays with my hair or plays with mine when she's sleepy. I've caught her a few times biting my hair but not to eat it, just being silly xx


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## smurff

Thankyou, I spoke to a few family members and they all said best to get her checked out as we were worried about it wrapping itself around her bowel or something, just got back from A and E, they said she's fine and nothing g to worry about but just keep an eye on her to make sure she's eating ok which is a bit of a nightmare cause she's off food at the mo as I think she's had a bit of a cold last few days!. Daughter is autistic so that's why I couldn't ask if she'd eaten anything and why she chews on lots of different things.
Annoying thing is the hospital has had to fill out and additional form cause my daughter has been in 5 times in 12 mths. I've been told not to worry about anything it's just routine but as I worry so much I got upset and said does that mean social will be knocking on the door but nurse was very nice and said that wasn't the case, I'll still worry though :dohh:


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## Teri7489

My brother has just had the same with paperwork due to my nephew being to a+e so many times (bronchiolitis and bump to the head) He was really worries and literally nothing came of it. He hasn't even heard from the health visitor, it's merely just on record that's all. x


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## sophxx

Personally I think your over reacting. I wouldn't have taken any child or advised anyone to go to a&he for cotton in there bottom it could have gone in from her nappy she might not have eaten it. It also isn't a emergence you could have attended your gp and asked them or contacted the health visitor or school nurse. She would need to eat a lot for it to cause a serious issue and you surely would see her doing that. 
I've seen some of your other threads and it seems like suffer every bad anxiety. I know how awful that is have you got any treatment for it?


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## smurff

Sophxx thanks for reply, yes I have anxiety which I am getting help for, on this occasion I was NOT over reacting. Firstly I didn't know it was cotton and it's pretty damm scary pulling a foot long piece of thread out your child's bum. It wasn't a piece of cotton that you would sew with it was more like cord. It happened 6pm on a Saturday evening so I couldn't go doctors!, believe me if it happened during the day on a week day I would have taken her doctors. And secondly I was told by 2 nurses and a doctor that I did exactly the right thing by bringing her in. 
If my daughter wasn't autistic and could speak I could have asked what she had eaten and how much and then I wouldn't have worried but unfortunately I couldn't do that. Like I said I was told I did right bringing her in and I was also told to bring her straight back if she showed any signs of a sore stomach as it could have been a sign of a blockage.


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## smurff

Twine actually, that's the best way to explain it so I knew it wasn't from the nappy, and the twine was knotted in various places which was why I was worried about blockages.


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## LoraLoo

Smurff, you don't have to justify yourself to anyone- personally I think you did the right thing taken her in to be checked.


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## smurff

Thanks loraloo. I know I over react sometimes because like I said I have to interpret all my daughters needs but I knew I was right in taking her A&E and if it happened again I'd still take her A&E. 
And I'd just like to say to sophxx that you were wrong on 2 things, it would not have taken alot for it to cause serious issue, there was over a foot long piece come out if her which could have wrapped around something inside her, and yes it was an emergency because there could have been more inside her which could have caused a blockage and that is classed as an emergency. As I said it was a Saturday night so no docs to take her to, no school nurse to take her to and no health visitor either.


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## sequeena

You were completely right to get her checked out, glad that she's ok!


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## Mrskl2508

smurff said:


> First of all sorry but this is gonna be indepth of my daughters pull up. My daughter is 4 and in pull ups, she's autistic and not potty trained as yet.
> She has just had a dirty bum so as I took her pull up off I noticed the poop was stuck between her cheeks, I wiped and noticed it was stuck there because there was a long bit of string /cotton inside it. I pulled it away and carried on wiping and as I did the whole of it came out in 1 piece, I'd say about just under half was still inside her as I pulled it out.
> I'm worried now that it may not have been string or cotton and I don't know what it is, I'm worried I've done damage by pulling it out, she did say ow as I did it.
> I did find her the other day with a long bit of cotton in her mouth that she had pulled out of a cushion. Do you think she needs to be seen at hospital? Is it normal to come out like that when eating cotton/string. She's not in any pain at all


Hi, did yoy ever find out what caused this? Ive had sane situ with my wee boy and sending stool sample in to docs tomos! So worried :/


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## Bevziibubble

Mrskl2508 said:


> Hi, did yoy ever find out what caused this? Ive had sane situ with my wee boy and sending stool sample in to docs tomos! So worried :/


 The original poster hasn't been online for a few years so it would be best if you started your own thread to get more responses. I hope everything is OK with your little boy :hugs:


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