How can you prevent Choking Incidents amongst Children?
Sometimes there are little things that you think are not risky, but can actually pose a real threat to your child, like forgetting to put cap on the pen after using it or other small objects that increases the risk of choking amongst children. According to a review every year more than two hundred children die of choking on some of the smaller things or some foodstuff. The choking incidents are found commonly in the children under the age group of four but these incidents can be easily averted.
Majority of the choking events take place when your child does not chew the food properly or your child has by mistake ingested the whole food. According to a study it was concluded that majority of the ingested items include peanuts, nuts, and almonds. Most of the children are not able to chew the food properly as they don’t have the molar teeth to perform the function of grinding.
It is very risky to ingest the food those are round shaped and it can stick in the throat leading to choking. As parents you should make sure that these food items are cut in small pieces which make it easier to eat. Following is a list of some of the food items those can lead to choking in the children, as given by the American Academy of Pediatrics:
* Apples
* Hot Dogs
* Nuts
* Hard Candy
* Chunks of meat
* Peanut Butter
* Raw carrots
* Popcorn
You need to be more cautious at home as small things can be easily ingested by your child. Following are some of the domestic objects those are considered risky for the children-
* Buttons
* Marbles
* Coins
* Paper clips
* Safety pins
* Small rings
* Caps of the pen
* Small screws
According to a survey, majority of the children choking deaths occur due to ingesting small parts of the toys. Make sure that you are aware of the fact that the latex balloons are dangerous for your child. If your child has ingested something then don’t take it lightly as it can be obstructing the flow of the air in the lungs and the situation can turn serious.
What to do if the child is continuously coughing or crying-
Make sure that you don’t pat your child on the back as it could also force the material to move from its position. Make sure that your child is breathing. Encourage your child to cough up so that the material gets out. Immediately call your physician for additional assistance.
What to do when your child is not able to speak and is getting pale-
In this situation normally the child cannot breathe properly and requires emergency attention. If your child is above 1 year of age then you should give your child abdominal pushes. If your child is over 1 year then you can give your child back pushes till the time emergency assistance arrives.
