Swallowing gum is generally not harmful, and it will usually pass through your digestive system and come out in your stool about 40 hours later, just like almost everything else you eat. However, in rare cases, swallowing a large mass of gum, or many small pieces of gum over a short period of time, can block the digestive tract. Blockages are more likely to happen when gum is swallowed along with other indigestible things (like sunflower seed shells) . Little kids are most likely to be affected because they might not understand that gum is chewed, not swallowed. If you swallow a large amount of gum or if you swallow gum with other indigestible objects, that might cause a blockage. This could require surgery to remove it from your digestive tract. The symptoms of a blockage typically include abdominal pain and constipation, sometimes accompanied by vomiting. If you think you have an intestinal blockage, see your doctor.

In summary, swallowing a piece of gum is not harmful, and it will pass through your digestive system and come out in your stool. However, swallowing a large amount of gum or swallowing gum with other indigestible objects can cause a blockage in your digestive tract, which requires medical attention.