Your child has their hands at their throat and is unable to breathe. There are tears running down their face, their mouth is open, but there is no sound. They are standing in front of you waiting for you to help. What would you do? It is a frightening question for parents and one that many are unprepared to answer. Despite our best efforts, our children are exposed to choking hazards that could put any one of us in this situation. We try our best to keep the house clear of small toy parts, reachable coins, and balloons. But what about the foods we choose to feed our children? Are there any potential threats there? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, hot dogs are the most frequent choking hazard with children aged one to eight years. The circular-shaped sausage wrapped in a gooey bun makes a perfect blockage for small airways.
Children are at particular risk of choking for a few reasons. Physiologically, the small diameter of their airway is easily blocked. And if something does get wedged into their airway, they may lack the strength to dislodge an object with the force of their cough. Infants and young children lack molars needed for properly grinding their food or may still be learning to use them properly. Behaviorally, toddlers are often too distracted and active to focus on the task of eating.
Like hot dogs, any round, firm foods like carrots, nuts, or grapes should be concerns for choking. It doesn’t mean these foods are completely off-limits. Foods that are a potential hazard due to their shape can be chopped into pieces. In logger’s terms, make sure you rip (cut lengthwise) and crosscut these foods before serving. On the other hand, peanut butter and marshmallows are a special concern because of their stickiness and are not recommended for children under three years old. Supervise your child’s mealtime, and make sure they stay seated while eating. Teach them to chew their food and swallow before talking. This time, teaching good manners is good preventative medicine as well.
It is impossible to prevent all choking cases in children. Sometimes it is necessary to take action to save a life. As taught in American Red Cross CPR courses, back blows are alternated with abdominal thrusts in a “five and five” rotation when trying to dislodge an airway obstruction in a conscious child or adult. To learn to perform this skill properly it is essential to get certified by a Red Cross instructor. The last place you want to ask if you are doing the techniques correctly is when you are doing it for real.
As a former director of Health & Safety and Instructor Trainer for the American Red Cross, I realize how overwhelming the idea of your child choking can be. Sometimes it seems easier to ignore the possibility, believing that “it will never happen to me.” But there is good news for those that acknowledge their fears and get trained. When I taught courses, I would often ask the participants if they had ever used CPR skills in the real world. I found that nearly everyone has a story about choking. Some in my classes were the rescuers, others were the rescued. Some witnessed a rescue happen right in front of them and didn’t know what to do. Though I certainly heard of tragedies, using the skills to save a choking victim’s life is where I most often heard of lives saved.
To sign up for a CPR course, contact your park and recreation department, fire department, or visit the American Red Cross website to locate your closest local chapter.
