Incidental Aural Foreign Bodies in Children: A Cross-Sectional Study of Primary School Pupils in Enugu State, Nigeria

A bstract Background: Foreign bodies in the ear are common findings in growing children as they explore their environment. They vary from a range of objects within the environment of the child. When left unattended, it can result in various complications. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of incidental foreign bodies in the ears of some primary school children in Enugu State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study evaluating 413 healthy primary school children from selected primary schools in Enugu state, Nigeria who, alongside caregivers, are unaware of the presence of any ear foreign bodies. Basic health details of participants were gathered, and an otoscopy was done. Results: A total of 17 (4.1%) out of the 413 children had incidental foreign bodies in their ears. The mean age of participants with incidental ear foreign bodies was 7.35 ± 1.54 years, and 94.1% were aged 5–9 years. There was a slight male preponderance (58.8%). More foreign bodies were found in the left ear (52.9%). Beads (29.4%) were the most common objects found, while other objects were erasers (17.6%), bean seeds (17.6%), paper (17.6%), and stones (17.6%). A significant number was asymptomatic (41.2%), while others complained of ear pain (29.4%) and itching (29.4%). Mild edema was noted within the canal (29.4%). There was no tympanic membrane perforation observed. Conclusion: Approximately one in every 25 primary school pupils in Enugu, Nigeria has incidental aural foreign body, and over a third of the cases are asymptomatic. Caregivers should be educated on the types of objects commonly found in children’s ears and the importance of keeping such items out of reach.