It is common for parents to find their baby chewing on a scrap of paper, a book corner, or a discarded receipt. This behavior often stems from normal sensory exploration. While the immediate impulse is to worry about poisoning, standard paper is generally not toxic. The most significant risk associated with a baby eating paper is physical blockage, not chemical toxicity. Understanding the potential hazards helps parents respond calmly and appropriately to this frequent childhood event.
Immediate Concerns: Choking and Distress
The most serious and immediate danger when a baby ingests paper is that a large, wadded piece could physically obstruct the airway. A baby who is truly choking will be unable to cry, speak, or make any sounds, and may quickly turn blue in the face or lips. It is important to distinguish this silent emergency from minor gagging or coughing, which suggests the baby is actively trying to clear the object on their own.
If the baby is coughing forcefully or making loud, distressed noises, the airway is only partially blocked, and intervention should be limited to monitoring them closely. If the baby cannot breathe, immediately begin first aid for choking, which involves a specific sequence of five back blows followed by five chest thrusts for infants under one year old. Call emergency services (like 911 or your local number) immediately or instruct someone else to do so while you continue the rescue sequence. A completely blocked airway can lead to a lack of oxygen and serious complications within minutes.
How the Body Processes Paper and Ink
Once a small piece of paper is successfully swallowed, the body’s digestive system treats it predictably. Standard paper is composed almost entirely of cellulose, a plant fiber that the human body cannot break down because it lacks the necessary enzymes. Because it is non-digestible, the paper is not absorbed into the bloodstream and will simply pass through the gastrointestinal tract like dietary fiber.
Parents often express concern over the ink, but the small quantities found on common materials like printer paper, newspaper, or notebook paper are minimally toxic. Modern printing inks, especially those used in large-scale commercial printing, are regulated and typically non-toxic. Specialized inks, like those in certain laser printers or art supplies, can sometimes contain trace amounts of heavier metals, but the amount transferred by chewing a small piece of paper is usually negligible. The paper will likely appear in the baby’s diaper somewhat unchanged, perhaps with a slight discoloration from the ink, within a day or two.
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
While most paper-eating incidents resolve without issue, specific symptoms signal the need for professional medical evaluation. Contact your healthcare provider if your child develops persistent vomiting, severe abdominal pain, or significant lethargy after the incident. These symptoms could indicate a bowel obstruction, especially if the child ingested a large or dense wad of paper that is too big to pass easily through the narrow points of the intestine.
A failure to pass the paper in the stool after 48 to 72 hours should also prompt a call to your pediatrician. Additionally, if the ingested material was something other than standard paper, such as a thermal receipt, a large piece of glossy magazine paper, or an item heavily saturated with specialized ink, you should contact Poison Control. The chemicals in thermal papers and certain colored dyes may pose a slightly higher risk and warrant expert advice, even if the child appears well.