We just moved to the area and have loved visiting the beach. I am a little concerned though because I have a difficult time keeping fistfuls of sand out of my 11 month olds mouth. I also have a 2yr old so am not able to to keep her away from it all of the time. Shells, sand, rocks, basically anything that fits goes into her mouth (like any normal toddler) but I am wondering if anyone knows if there may be harmful affects of sand on the internal organs or if she might get ill from it. Any suggestions or comments would help! Thanks
I don't think ingesting anything other than food is good for them, but I don't think it really do a lot of harm. As long as it's not a lot constantly. The first thing my son did was eat sand as soon as we took him to the beach, it happens. It was on food, his cup, everywhere, and he was fine. You just have to keep a close eye on them, especially with the shells and rock, HUGE choking piece.
Enjoy the beach with the babies,
T.
It might hurt coming out the other end and maybe a little redness or irritation, but no other bad effects should come of it.
I took my kids to the beach when they were little and they did eat sand. What they don't end up spitting out doesn't seem to hurt them any. As for shells, it really depends where you go. Hunting Island and Hilton Head don't seem to have many shells.
Our kids have a sand box and when we asked the doctor about them eating sand he told us that it would not hurt them. In fact, if anything it helps to clean out their colon. As far as objects in the sand, I don't think that is to healthy.
I do not know about getting sick, but there are all kinds of little lives gtowing out there. I got a collapsable cabana at Costco or one of the warehouses when mine was small and either kept him in it and guarded the entrance with myself - or put him in his pack-and-play - this also served to keep him from getting exposed to so many UV rays!
You might also consider bringing a quilt or picnic-style blanket, it might keep her from eating SO much of the sand, but all in all it'll probably still end up in her mouth. :) And as long as she has the big sis to follow around...
as you know that every body is different, I helped my sister raise her son in New Smyrna Beach, Fl. and I spent alot of time on the beach with him... and to this day he is a happy and healthy 23 year old.. when he was little he ate alot of beach sand and it did not hurt him, he put eveything in his mouth, I think it is the salty flavor.. I just made sure he drank alot of water.lol hope this helps.. B. Love
Hi K., the sand shouldn't bother their systems much at all. I would make sure to give them a lot of liquids afterwards. Everyone gets dehydrated from swimming anyway, but a lot of liguids will help sand and foreign objects move through (and back out) their system easier. I would also make sure to give them milk, that will help ease any sicknesses.
Have fun at the beach!
Y.
When my second daughter was a baby, she also loved to eat sand. Couldn't keep it away from her mouth! It never seemed to hurt her, and sure did clean out her digestive tract! LOL.
Have lots of FUN!!!!
I lived in Charleston for many moons & spent LOTS of time at the beach & in salt water(swimming/ sailing/ boating/ fishing...) Only thing I would recommend is to make sure your children drink LOTS of water. The excess salt is what will make them sick/dehydrated. (Same problem is true for animals at the beach.) Sand I wouldn't get overly excited over. Salt, shells & larger objects are more of a concern.
As your kids get older just be aware of some of the hazards of beaches & salt water. Undertow is a real worry (I don't care how well you can swim or your age!). Visitors would laugh at me when I made the obvservation that the ocean is to be respected just like a snake. I'm not afraid of either, but I respect both for what they could do.
My favorite place to be to this day when a storm rolls in is the beach. It's awesome to watch how the waves change, the water color change, and the sheer power in the waves.
By the way, be diligent about the sunscreen. The reflection off the water equals a double burn--or so we used to say to explain why the burns from a day at the beach or on the water seemed so much worse.
Have LOTS of fun and many wonderful memories.
we took our daughter to beach at a year old and she ate sand. didn't seem to bother her one way or the other. shells,,,sharp ones would not be good...but she ate just sand really. we were at oak island with few shells to worry about. (anyone who reads this,,,oak island is SO AMAZING,,,totally family oriented,,no hordes of teenagers running around being loud, no crazy bars....just the beach and families...like a dream. so so so wonderful. worth the 4 hour drive)
