Choking/SuffocationMany small objects can unintentionally get lodged in a child’s throat or lungs. It is important to learn which objects should not be kept around children. |
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Articles
Prevent Your Child From Choking Peanuts and popcorn, hot dogs, candy, carrots, and sunflower seeds. Ayal Willner, M.D., has seen them all stuck in children’s throats–and sometimes their lungs. The pediatric ear, nose, and throat specialist in Long Beach, Calif., spends a lot of time in emergency rooms removing food and small objects from children’s air passages. “I see about 20 to 30 kids a year from all over southern California because of choking,” he says.
Small objects, including pieces of food, can be a choking risk for babies and toddlers. Try to keep small objects out of reach until children are less likely to accidentally choke and are old enough to understand choking risks, which is usually around three years of age.
As a parent of young children, I know how hard it is to get them to put the right things in their mouths and to keep the wrong things out. Now some companies are making that message harder to deliver. Several years ago we found hard candy that looked like Lego bricks, the popular building-block toy. Those candy blocks are still on the market today where bulk candy is sold. |
Tips for Parents
1. Keep an eye on children when eating and playing |
Choking
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