Choking, Strangulation and Suffocation

Page 17

Young children in their first three years of life are at greater risk of choking and suffocation. They may choke during meals or during playtime because they use their mouths to explore and experiment with unfamiliar objects. Some situations that are likely to lead to choking on food include eating while rushed, running and laughing. 

In the United States, death by choking, strangulation suffocation or entrapment results in about 700 deaths each year to children and adolescents.

• Half of these deaths occur in the first year of life and three-quarters occur in children younger than five years.
• Food and coins are the most common causes of choking.
• Children have been strangled by clothing or string around their neck that becomes caught on furniture or playground equipment.
• Some consumer products that have strangled children include window-blind cords and the lids of toy chest.
• Entrapment and asphyxiation can occur in unsafe cribs as well as other household items such as refrigerators, ice chests and clothes dryers.
• Suffocation can occur if children have access to plastic bags.

​Choking and suffocation are frightening because they occur suddenly. Only six minutes without oxygen can cause brain damage in children. The signs of choking and suffocation in children are difficulty speaking or breathing, the inability to cough, wheezing sounds, clutching of throat or gesturing, a bluish face, confusion and unexplained loss of consciousness (this is a very late sign). ​  

You can take the following steps to reduce the risk of mechanical airway obstruction:

• Learn the proper response and techniques for helping choking or suffocating infants and children.
• Foods that are round, hard, small, thick, sticky, smooth or slippery should not be offered to children younger than four years of age. For infants, foods should be cut in small pieces no longer than 1/4" cubes; for toddlers, pieces no longer than 1/2" cubes. Children should not be allowed to eat while walking, running, playing, lying down or riding in a vehicle.
• Objects smaller than 1 1/4" in diameter should not be accessible to children who put things in their mouths.
• Check toys and equipment regularly for small parts that may break off, such as eyes and noses on stuffed animals, buttons on doll clothes or plastic hats or shoes on miniature people. Remove or securely attach these items.
• Plastic bags, pins, nails and toothpicks should not be accessible to children younger than four years.
• Never use old cribs with bars more than 2 3/8" apart. Never place a crib near window blinds. Take down hanging toys from across the crib. To prevent a child from suffocation, there should be no more than two fingers in width between the side of the crib and the mattress.
• Secure or shorten window blind cords.
• Be aware of the needs and protections for children with developmental delays, swallowing or other disabilities.  

Possible Choking and Suffocation Hazards

Toys

• Balloons
  
• Game pieces
  
• Game tokens
  
• ​Jacks
  
• Marbles
  
• Plastic bags
  
• Play jewelry
  
• Small objects
  
• Small toys (less than 1 1/2")
  
• Toy chests with no air holes

Foods

• Big chunks of meat
  
• Whole grapes and raisins
  
• Gum
  
• Hard candy and cough drops
  
• Hot dogs and sausages cut in rounds
  
• Lollipops
  
• Whole olives
  
• Peanuts, nuts
  
• Popcorn
  
• Raw vegetables (carrots, etc.)
  
• Watermelon seeds
  
• Spoonfuls of peanut butter
  
• Dried fruit

Objects

• Pins and nails
  
• Toothpicks
  
• Pencils and pens
  
• Crayons
  
• Staples
  
• Coins
  
• Jewelry 

Course Navigation Menu

1. Course Agenda
2. Health and Safety​
3. Preventing Injuries
4. ​Safety Regulations (1/11)
5. Hazards (2/11)
6. Risk of Injury
7. Developmental Age (3/11)
8. Safety Policies​
9. Safe or Unsafe (4/11)​
10. Hazard Analysis (5/11)​
11. ​Supervise the Children

12. Staff Ratios (6/11)
13. ​Regular Safety Checks
14. Burns and Fire
15. Burn and Fire Prevention
16. Hot Liquid Burns (7/11)
17. ​Strangulation & Suffocation
18. Falls
19. Poisoning
20. Poisoning can be Prevented
21. ​Drowning
22. ​Emergency Procedures

​23. Emergency Experiences (8/11)
​24. First Aid
25. Minor Injuries (9/11)
26. Disaster Preparedness
27. Emergency Preparedness (10/11)
28. Missing Child
29. Authorized Persons
30. After the Emergency
31. End of Course Quiz (11/11)
32. Evaluation Form
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