My Kid Ate a Bug: Should I Freak Out?
No. “Kids put everything in their mouths—that’s how they explore the world,” Lisa M. Asta, MD, a clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of California at San Francisco, tells Yahoo Parenting. Angelina Jolie has even fed her children crickets (a delicacy in certain parts of the world), which they ate “like Doritos.”
Most bugs your child is likely to encounter, capture, and eat are not poisonous, and they’re not going to be much trouble if they’re dead, notes Asta. Bugs are mainly protein and will simply pass through the digestive system.
Even if your child is allergic to honeybees for example, it’s unlikely he’d be able to grab one out of thin air, Mr. Miyagi-style, and eat it. More than likely, the bee would already be dead since they die after stinging someone, leaving their venomous barb in their victim’s skin.
Still concerned? Call your pediatrician or the National Capital Poison Control Center. If it’s clear that your child made an ant, worm, or roly-poly (aka potato bug) into a surprise snack, monitor the situation and chalk it up to them getting some extra protein that day.
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What are you freaked out about? Write us on Facebook or Twitter @YahooParenting, or YParenting (at) Yahoo.com.
