Hard Candy And Other Choking Hazards: How To Protect Your Child from Choking
The VIRTUS ® Programs
A recent U.S. study investigated the number of children visiting emergency rooms for choking-related occurrences. Results of the study show that the most common food that children choke on is hard candy.
The research, conducted between 2001 and 2009, examined non-fatal emergency room visits related to choking on food for children 0-14 years old.
Researchers found that there were over 100,000 visits in that period with an average of about 12,000 a year. Of the total number of visits, around 10 percent were hospitalized, and the others were treated and released. Approximately 33 percent were less than a year old, but the mean age was 4.5.
The Journal of Pediatrics reports that "[c]hoking on food causes the death of approximately 1 child every 5 days in the United States."
Hard candy, other candy, gum, meat, bone, fruits, and vegetables are the top five foods that children choke on.
The age of the child is a factor in what foods pose the greatest choking hazard.
Fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, shells, and other candy are the most common choking hazards for children ages one to two.
The three foods children under the age of one choke on are formula, milk or breast milk; fruits and vegetables; and biscuits, cookies, or crackers.
Children under two years of age are particularly susceptible to choking because they "can bite stuff off but don't have the molars to really grind that stuff down." Give them small pieces of soft food instead.
Children between 2 to 4 years old have molars, but they are "still figuring out how to chew and swallow effectively and safely." Never give a small child whole grapes, cherry tomatoes, popcorn, nuts, undiced celery, carrots, green beans, chunks of cheese, gummy foods like marshmallows, dollops of nut butters, rounded slices of a hotdog, or any piece of food larger than a pea that can get stuck if eaten whole.
This article is not part of your continuing training. To access your required bulletins you must log in using the form in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. Then go to the TRAINING tab.
