Preventing Choking Hazards in Children The Allen Center for Nutrition   Preventing Choking Hazards in Children Preventing choking hazards in children A presentation by the Allen Center for Nutrition and Cedar Crest College Provided by a grant from the Allen Foundation

Choking Statistics Children under 5 are at the greatest risk 4th leading cause of unintentional death in children under the age of 5 years old Toys, household items and food are all choking hazards Food is the most common cause of non-fatal choking 10,000 children are taken to the hospital every year related to food-choking issues Your child’s trachea (windpipe) is the size of a drinking straw Choking and children is a serious issue, and children under 5 are at the greatest risk for choking In fact, it is the 4th leading cause of unintentional death in children under 5 Toys, household items, and food can all be choking hazards, and food is the most common cause of non-fatal choking Ten thousand children are taken to the hospital every year due to choking on food Your child’s trachea, or windpipe, is only as wide as a drinking straw

Signs of Choking & Getting Help Coughing Gagging High-pitched noises Noisy breathing Holding neck with both hands Lips or skin turn blue Call 911! Perform First Aid Red Cross Website If your child ever shows signs of choking, it is important to GET HELP! After calling 911, first aid for choking can be performed. Guidelines regarding first aid for choking are available from the American Red Cross vary by the child's age (and level of consciousness). It is important that parents/caregivers get trained. Signs of choking include coughing, gagging, high-pitched noises, or noisy breathing. Children may also hold their neck with both hands. Their lips or skin may also turn blue. Again, if your child is choking, it is important to GET HELP. Call 911 first. If you know how, you can perform the Heimlich Maneuver in children 1 year or older. If your child is no longer breathing or becomes unconscious, you can try CPR. The important thing is to remove the object blocking your child’s airway, and make sure your child can breathe and talk again.

Ways to prevent Choking Always supervise children while eating Children should sit up while eating Meal time should be calm and unhurried Children should not eat while walking, riding in the car, or playing Model safe eating habits and chew food properly Offer drinks, but only allow sips in between bites of foods Avoid large “globs” of sticky foods like peanut butter, as it can stick to the roof of a child’s mouth When trying to prevent choking hazards, it’s very important to supervise children when they are eating Children should be sitting up, and meal and snack times should be calm and unhurried Children should not eat while walking, riding in the car, or playing Parents and caregivers should model good eating behavior, and chew food slowly and properly Children can have drinks, but should sip slowly between bites of foods Avoid large globs of sticky foods like peanut butter, Nutella, or marshmallow fluff. These types of foods, especially on soft bread, can stick to the roof of a child’s mouth and cause choking hazards.

Foods that are Choking Hazards Round foods Clumpy foods Sticky or slippery foods Hard or crunchy foods Raw nuts or seeds Foods that are cut too large It’s also important to consider the shapes, textures, and sizes of foods you are serving children. Avoid round foods, like cherries Clumpy foods, like granola, can cause choking problems Sticky foods, like gummy bears, or slippery foods, like wet grapes can cause problems Hard or crunchy foods, like chips or pretzels can get stuck in a child’s throat Raw nuts or seeds can causing choking problems Foods that are cut too large, like raw vegetables or cheese cubes, can also be a choking hazard

Foods to Consider Hot dogs or sausages Peanut butter Grapes Popcorn, chips, pretzel nuggets Cherries, or other fruits with pits Nuts, including peanuts Ice cubes and cheese cubes Dried fruit Peas and corn Certain foods are more likely to be choking hazards than others – here are some suggestions for serving them: Foods like hot dogs and sausages should be cut into strips, NOT coins or medallions. These round shapes are even more dangerous to children. Peanut butter and other sticky spreads should be used in small amounts The American Academy of Pediatrics considers popcorn and nuts unsafe foods for toddlers.  They also include raw carrots.  They recommend grapes being cut in quarters. Ice cubes and cheese cubes should be cut into small pieces. Or, cheese can be shredded.

Candy & other Treats We should offer candy and other treats to children occasionally, but there are some candies that are more likely to cause choking These candies are usually sticky, or are shaped in such a way that they can get stuck in a child’s throat Candies like gum drops, caramels, marshmallows or jelly beans are sticky and can stick in a child’s mouth Hard candies, gum drops, or round lollipops also pose a hazard as they can get stuck in a child‘s throat Remember, we should only give children candy and other treats once in a while, and we should make sure they don’t present a choking hazard.

References The American National Red Cross. (2011). Conscious choking. American Red Cross. Retrieved from: www.redcross.org MedlinePlus. (2012). Choking. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved from: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/choking.html American Academy of Pediatrics. (2013). What can I do to keep my child from choking? Choking Prevention. Retrieved from: www.healthychildren.org Anderson, K. (2011). Choking: knowing the signs and what to do. The Blog of the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Retrieved from: www.wearechildrens.org