American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [53]
Preventing children from choking on small objects
Young children, especially children under age 4 (who tend to put things into their mouth), have the highest risk of choking on small parts of toys or small toys. A device is available that tests small objects or toys to see if they pose a choking hazard. Or use the cardboard tube inside a roll of toilet paper. Place the toy or part in the tube or tester; if the toy or part fits, a child can choke on it.
Infants and children can easily suffocate if their mouth and nose become blocked. Keep plastic bags away from your children. Don’t put pillows or stuffed toys in your young child’s bed, and don’t put him or her to sleep on a water bed. Always put an infant to sleep on his or her back.
Children under age 2 can easily choke on food. A child’s chewing skills are not fully developed until about age 4. Teach your children early on to take small bites of food and to chew food thoroughly. For very young children, cut food into bite-size pieces and watch them while they eat. Don’t allow children of any age to talk, walk, or run if they have food in their mouth. Do not allow children to eat in a moving vehicle. If you must eat while traveling, pull over to the side of the road. Encourage children to sit down at the table to eat.
Foods that can cause choking
Never give hard foods such as nuts, hard candy, seeds, popcorn, or raw carrots or celery to children younger than 4 because they usually cannot chew them properly. Other foods young children can choke on include cookies, raisins, and pieces of raw vegetables or fruit. Cut up softer foods such as grapes or hot dogs and other meats into small pieces, or don’t give them to your child at all.
Uninflated or broken latex balloons are the No. 1 cause of choking in children. Young children are attracted to colorful, uninflated, or broken balloons and may put them in their mouth. The rubber can become lodged in a child’s windpipe, where it obstructs breathing. Never let your children—especially those under age 4—play with latex balloons. To prevent choking, purchase polyester film balloons for children’s parties because they don’t burst as easily and tend not to break into small parts.
Keeping Your Child Safe Around Pets
Choose pets carefully if you have children. Dogs and cats that are calm and like to be petted are usually good with children. Animals that seem nervous, unfriendly, or afraid can be unpredictable around children and don’t make good pets. Pets that become aggressive toward a child (for example, growling or attempting to bite the child) may be capable of causing serious injury. Supervise infants and children under 5 at all times around pets because pets can be jealous and because young children do not always know how to act around animals. Half of all dog bites to children are caused by the family dog. Get obedience training for your dog, and train it to obey commands from all family members. Keep a cat’s nails trimmed or get it declawed.
Tell your child to always ask for the owner’s permission before approaching an unfamiliar animal. Because dogs can get aggressive when they are defending their territory or themselves, tell children never to put their hands in a place where a dog is confined (such as a pen, car, or yard).
Demonstrate to your child how to safely approach and pet an animal. Keep your arms straight down at your sides, with your hands visible. Speak softly to the animal while lifting your arm slowly and letting the animal sniff your hand. If the animal seems receptive to more contact, gently and slowly touch the side of the animal’s head and start petting by scratching the animal behind the ears. Never put your hand on top of an animal’s head immediately. Stop right away and slowly