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Whether you have accidentally swallowed a LEGO® piece or brick, there is no cause for concern…yet.
Perhaps, a furry friend or a family member has indulged in the taste of a sweet LEGO® brick. I highly do not recommend eating or swallowing plastic bricks, but accidents do happen. If you swallow a small LEGO® piece, chances are you are going to be just fine! Scientists actually ran an experiment where they swallowed a small LEGO® head. The results showed, in summary, nothing really happened and the piece was naturally expelled.
What Happened To The Scientists Who Swallowed A LEGO® Head?
The scientists had this hysterical rating scale for the time it took the LEGO® head to travel the entirety of the gastrointestinal tract: The Found and Retrieval Time, or FART score for short. On average, these six brave and pioneering scientists (all adults) discovered that, across the five heads they recovered, it took roughly 1.7 days for the LEGO® head to travel completely through the GI tract. One experimenter searched for two weeks and never found his LEGO® head. Most likely, all LEGO® heads made their way to the bottom of the toilet.
What Do You Do If You Swallow A LEGO®?
Whether you are an adult or a child, don’t panic as there is no immediate emergency. However, monitor the individual’s behavior and health after the fact. Just so you know, that 1.7 days came from adults, and the researchers concluded small swallowed objects are likely to pass in one to three days without complication. Overall, as long as the individual is healthy, happy, and asymptomatic, the piece should then end up in the plumbing system. Lastly, no need to retrieve the LEGO® piece. I would let that one go and keep the kids dropped off by the pool. And, if you are concerned, there is definitely no issue contacting a primary care physician for help.
What Does Stomach Acid Do To The LEGO®?
LEGO® is made from an extremely durable plastic called ABS. Chances are, GI tract bodily fluids will have no effect on the LEGO® piece and it will remain intact. However, there are all sorts of bacteria that live in equilibrium inside your body, so whatever that LEGO® piece is covered with, it is probably no longer entirely safe to interact with once it is expelled.
2026 Update: When To Actually Call A Doctor
If this is a standard, small LEGO® plastic piece and the person is acting totally normal, this is usually a “monitor and move on with your day” situation. That said, if there is trouble breathing, choking, drooling, chest or belly pain, repeated vomiting, blood or a fever, get medical help. Poison Help says to call 911 for difficulty breathing, a collapse or a seizure, and never make the person vomit. A button battery is an emergency, because it can burn through the throat or stomach lining. Just so you know, the LEGO® SMART Bricks that launched in 2026 have a sealed rechargeable battery inside (per a Hackaday teardown), so they are not ordinary plastic pieces and the monitor and move on advice does not apply. Treat a swallowed SMART Brick like a button battery and get help right away. In the U.S., you can call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 for fast guidance.
A Parting Note On Swallowing LEGO® Pieces
Please do yourself a favor and do not make this a habit. Accidents happen and you should be fine. Chances are, you are just going to FART it out!
Matt Buxbaum · CEO at Baumlinks LLC
Matt B. spends his time arm wrestling, boxing, and most importantly, building LEGO®. His eclectic tastes give you dynamic information on all things LEGO® news and LEGO® product releases.
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