Unfortunately, this is one that my husband and I have experienced twice in the past year, specifically with our son. Both times he required intervention and without it, well I don't even want to think about it. Each choking incident involved food, one was a small meatball and the other a chip.
From these two incidents, I am a firm believer that supervision while eating is critical! If my husband and I were not able to witness my son's choking we would have never known he was in trouble. He was unable to call out for help as his airway was completely occluded. I will never forget the terror in his eyes while he grabbed at his throat with drool dripping out of his mouth. The velocity in which the meatball flew out of his mouth as my husband performed the Heimlich Maneuver was remarkable. Then came his beautiful cry and I say beautiful because it signified his airway was clear and that he was going to be ok. He was scared to death and it took a long time to console him. To this day, he refuses to eat meatballs.
Food isn't the only culprit when it comes to choking. In just one month, I saw two children under the age of 5 in the OR for swallowed coins. One was able to be removed quite easily and the patient's recovery was quick and uneventful. The other was far more difficult which resulted with time spent in the ICU.
I constantly remind my son about the dangers of choking. I remind him to chew thoroughly, to pay attention while eating, and the dangers of putting non-food items in his AND his sister's mouth. My 9 month old daughter is at double the risk due to her natural inclination to putting everything in her mouth, the increased amount of choking hazards from my son's toys, and my son's curiosity and fascination with cause and effect (especially when it comes to his sister).
Not every choking story has a happy ending. Read below for common items that are associated with choking and what you can do to prevent it. I also cannot stress enough the importance of learning CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver. The Heimlich maneuver saved my son's life, TWICE.
Food isn't the only culprit when it comes to choking. In just one month, I saw two children under the age of 5 in the OR for swallowed coins. One was able to be removed quite easily and the patient's recovery was quick and uneventful. The other was far more difficult which resulted with time spent in the ICU.
I constantly remind my son about the dangers of choking. I remind him to chew thoroughly, to pay attention while eating, and the dangers of putting non-food items in his AND his sister's mouth. My 9 month old daughter is at double the risk due to her natural inclination to putting everything in her mouth, the increased amount of choking hazards from my son's toys, and my son's curiosity and fascination with cause and effect (especially when it comes to his sister).
Not every choking story has a happy ending. Read below for common items that are associated with choking and what you can do to prevent it. I also cannot stress enough the importance of learning CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver. The Heimlich maneuver saved my son's life, TWICE.
Choking Hazards
That may be why choking continues to be one of the leading causes of death for children under age four or five. This includes choking on food and non-food items, such as:
- whole grapes
- peanuts and other nuts
- popcorn
- hard candy and chewing gum
- hard foods, including raw vegetables
- soft foods, such as large cubes of cheese, caramels, etc.
- chewy foods, such as thick spoonfuls of peanut butter
- uncut hot dogs
- coins
- marbles and small balls
- small magnets
- small batteries
- balloons, which can be a choking hazard to kids under age eight when they put broken balloon pieces in their mouths or when they inhale intact balloons when trying to blow them up
- safety pins, pen caps, and tacks
- small toy parts that can fit inside a choke test cylinder or no-choke testing tube, which measures 1 1/4 inches wide by 2 1/4 inches long and simulates the size and shape of a young child's throat, such as Lego building blocks, dice, beads, etc.
- dry pet food
Parents often know to cut up hot dogs and to avoid peanuts and whole grapes, but may forget that popcorn, chewing gum, and hard candy are choking hazards too.
Choking Prevention
Young children put almost everything in their mouth, which makes the main goal of choking prevention to keep any small items that your child might choke on out of his mouth. This may mean occasionally getting on all fours and checking under the kitchen table and other furniture and behind coach cushions.
In addition to regularly checking the floor, your car, and other areas where your child crawls, walks, and plays, other steps to keep kids safe from choking include that you:
- learn CPR and keep emergency numbers by the phone
- learn the Heimlich maneuver
- keep medications and vitamins out of reach in child resistant containers
- childproof cabinets and drawers so that your kids can't get to small items inside them
- supervise kids when they are eating
- cut foods, like grapes and hot dogs, into small, one-half inch pieces
- avoid foods that are not age appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers, like chewing gum, hard candy, and nuts until they are at least four years old
- don't let your kids play with toys that are not recommended for their age, since they may have small parts and could be a choking hazard
- keep your older kids toys out of reach of younger siblings
- regularly inspect toys to make sure that parts aren't going to break off and throw out any broken toys
- supervise kids under age eight if they are playing with a balloon, keep uninflated balloons out of reach, and throw away balloons once they deflate or break
- see your pediatrician if your child seems to have an episode of choking, recovers, but then develops a chronic cough, since that can be a sign that your child aspirated the item and it is still in his lung
