• Approximately 200 Canadians die each year as a result of choking on food.
• Babies under two years are at the highest risk from choking injuries.
• Children up to age 6 yrs also have a high risk.  Approximately 80% of emergency calls for choking are for children under 6 yrs.
• A child with a fully obstructed airway will be dead in 4-6 minutes without help.
• The average time it takes for an ambulance to arrive in the Lower Mainland is 10 minutes.This shows how important it is for you to learn the first aid skills you need to deal with a choking child. You don’t have time to wait for an ambulance.

WHY IS AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION SO COMMON WITH CHILDREN?

Newborns & infants:

• Immature throat muscles
• Small air passages
• Put things in their mouth 

Toddlers:

• Have few teeth so can’t chew big pieces of food
• Eat fast and don’t chew food thoroughly
• Put things in their mouth
• Run, jump and play with objects and food in mouth

HIGH RISK FOODS:

• Small round firm food that can easily slip down throat e.g. nuts, grapes and candy.
• Stringy food e.g. celery, chicken, steak, long noodles
• Sticky food e.g. peanut butter, melted cheese 
• Foods that swell when moist e.g. Dried fruit like raisins, chewy candy (gummy bears), seeds and kernals e.g. popcorn kernals.

Avoid these for children under age four.

THE TOP 10 CHOKING FOODS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM SAFER

• Apples (and other firm fruits) - chop, cook, shred.
• Carrots (and other firm/hard vegetables) - finely shred, puree or cook until soft.
• Celery – remove stringy outside layer with peeler and cut into very small pieces.
• Grapes and cherries - Cut in quarters and remove seeds / pips / stones.
• Hot dogs - Slice lengthwise and chop into irregularly shaped pieces.
• Peanut butter - Spread thinly and serve with a drink.  Children under 4 should never eat large clumps from a spoon or finger.
• Raisins - Avoid completely for children less than 2 yrs. 2-4’s should only be given plump, moist ones or ones that have been cooked in breads, puddings.
• Hard Candy and chewing gum – Avoid for children under age 4.
• Nuts - Peanuts are a leading cause of childhood choking. All nuts are a threat because of their size and shape and should be avoided for children under 4.
• Popcorn – its size, shape and irregular edges make it a prime choking food.  Kernels can also be a hazard as they can swell.  Avoid for children under 4.

OTHER CHOKING HAZARDS:

Other than food, the most common choking items reported from Canadian hospitals are: bones, coins, stones, pins, batteries (TV remote controls and watches), buttons, adhesive tape, small plastic toy pieces, key-chains.

 TIPS TO AVOID CHOKING:

• Don’t give foods like nuts, whole grapes, hot dogs, popcorn, large pieces of fruit or vegetables, chewing gum or hard candies to a child under four.
• Make sure the soft parts of pacifiers (soothers) are firmly attached to the handle.  Use a teething toy instead when baby is old enough to chew. Move from the bottle to a cup then too.
• Keep small objects out of reach of young children.
• Don’t let children blow up balloons or play with pieces of popped balloons.
• Avoid giving toys which say “not suitable for a child under age 3” to under 3’s.
• Plastic on disposable diapers can cause choking and should always be covered with clothing.

 THINGS TO TEACH CHILDREN:

• Sit quietly while eating.  Children should not leave the table or stand up until they have swallowed the last mouthful.
• Don’t talk with your mouth full.
• Take small bites of food and eat slowly.
• Chew well before swallowing.
• Teach older kids to keep small items away from baby – encourage them be a second pair of eyes for you.

And remember - children learn more from what we do than what we say. 

Be a good role model for children.

Information provided courtesy of Gill McCulloch, Director, Safe & Sound First Aid Training Ltd.
Website:   http://firstaid.citysoup.ca/Default.htm

Email:  firstaidtraining@shaw.ca