Protect Your Child from Choking
Infants and young children are busy exploring their world, and often they
explore by putting things in their mouths. There is real danger of an
infant or young child choking to death on things that are commonplace in
a home.
Toys & Household Items
Often toys that are safe for an older child in the home may be very dangerous
to infants and toddlers, who have very small airways. These and other
dangerous household items include things such as:
- Marbles and small balls
- Wheels from toy cars and trucks
- Eyes that can come loose from stuffed animals
- Broken or deflated balloons (a major cause of choking)
- Playing pieces from board games
- Real or play coins
- Small batteries
- Buttons
- Styrofoam packing "peanuts"
Easy Toy Testing
Any object that is small enough to slide through or get stuck inside a toilet
paper roll is NOT safe for a child under 3 years of age.
Always look for labels stating the age group for
which a toy is safe.Food
Young children do not carefully chew food before swallowing. Food that is of a
shape and size that can block the trachea (airway) needs to be avoided for
children under 5 years of age. For these young children ALL food should be cut
up into small (NOT round slices ) pieces. Examples of foods that can be very
hazardous for young children:
- Hot dogs (the major source of choking from food) (Do NOT just slice)
- Carrots
- Spoonfuls of peanut butter
- Gumballs
- Small pieces of candy
- Medium to large chunks of ANY food
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