Abstract
AIM: To identify factors associated with the spontaneous passage of ingested foreign bodies. METHODS: A prospective observational cohort study was conducted at a tertiary pediatric surgery center from July 2022 to March 2024. Management followed a standardized protocol, with follow-up period of over 6 months. RESULTS: The study included 139 children with a mean age of 6.9 years, and 53% of them were boys. Blunt objects, mainly coins, were the most frequently ingested (60%). Most children (88%) were asymptomatic, but 9% reported abdominal pain, particularly with sharp object ingestion (P = 0.006). Spontaneous passage occurred in most cases, with a mean transit time of 119 ± 105 h. Sharp objects passed faster than blunt ones (87 ± 60 h vs. 141 ± 122 h; P = 0.01). Delayed passage was associated with larger object diameter, constipation, and significant colon loading on X-ray. The optimal cutoff diameter predicting a transit time over 72 h for blunt objects was 1.75 cm. Nine children required intervention, and no long-term complications were observed. CONCLUSION: Most ingested foreign bodies pass spontaneously without complications. Sharp objects transit faster than blunt objects, and transit time is influenced by object size, constipation, and colon loading.