Choking a serious threat for children

Statistics from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National SAFE Kids Campaign say that one child in the United States dies every five days as a result of choking on food. The leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths under the age of one in the United States is airway obstruction.

Despite the large numbers, many parents aren’t able to accurately recognize choking hazards. Recently, three medical facilities in Atlanta enrolled the caregivers of 94 children, ages 1 to 4, in a study about choking hazards. The caregivers were shown ten common foods and household items. They were then asked to identify the choking hazards. The items included were: a whole grape, a small hot dog, some raw carrot, hard candy, a latex balloon, a pen, a marble, a coin, a cracker, and a rubber duck. Only the cracker and rubber duck were safe.

Experts say that round, firm foods pose the greatest risk for choking in children. These items should be restricted among children under age 4. But there are many other items on the list of things that children swallow that can be risky – beyond just airway obstruction. For example, safety pins, paper clips, earrings, and other jewelry can have sharp edges that may perforate the esophagus. Magnets have also topped the list of hazards. If a child swallows multiple magnets on separate occasions, they may be attracted to each other from within the child’s intestines and/or colon. Oftentimes swallowing magnets requires emergency surgery.

Why are children more likely to choke?

Children are naturally smaller than adults, therefore their airways are much smaller. A piece of food or an item that would not block the airway of an adult, can do so easily in a child. A child also has less lung volume, so he or she is not able to expel an object lodged in the windpipe. Finally, the muscles used in swallowing aren’t as developed as an adult’s, which could result in food getting lodged.

Preventing choking

The first step to preventing choking is recognizing the foods and items that are risky. The following is a list of dangerous foods: hot dogs, nuts and seeds, chunks of meat or cheese, whole grapes, hard, sticky candy, popcorn, chunks of peanut butter, raw vegetables, chewing gum, latex balloons, coins, marbles, toys that fit into a child’s mouth, small balls, pens or marker caps, small button-type batteries

There are tube devices sold that can help caregivers further classify choking hazards. If the food or item fits into the tube, it could be at risk.