Child safety: preventing choking and suffocation
Because children’s airways are so small, children can easily choke on food or other small objects they are inclined to put into their mouths. Common objects found around your house, such as plastic shopping bags and other soft materials also pose a danger, so read on and find out how you can reduce the risk of your child choking or suffocating.
Food
Before the age of about 3 or 4, young children’s teeth aren’t developed enough to enable them to chew food properly. When feeding your child, remember to:
- cut meats and sausages into very small pieces and remove skins if need be;
- give hard foods like carrot, celery and apple mashed up, pureed or grated — never give foods like these as solids;
- never give peanuts or other nuts to young children or toddlers;
- never give popcorn, hard lollies or corn chips to a child under the age of 5;
- remove small bones from children’s food;
- encourage children to sit quietly when eating and drinking (running or playing while eating makes them more likely to choke);
- always supervise young children closely at mealtimes; and
- never force your child to eat anything he or she does not want.
Toys and small objects
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Keep small objects, such as needles, coins, loose buttons, beads, marbles etc. out of children’s reach. A child can choke on any small object small enough to fit into a container the size of a film canister.
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Try to avoid buying objects like bean bags and toys which contain polystyrene beads which can be inhaled by children.
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Toys containing small parts, like those which can be bought from a vending machine, can be swallowed easily and cause choking. These toys are not suitable for children under 3 years' old.
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Toys found inside Christmas crackers and inside chocolate eggs should not be given to small children.
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Balloons are dangerous to small children, because they can explode if they’re bitten when inflated, and also because a child may swallow fragments of a broken balloon, blocking his or her airway. Don’t let your children play with balloons unsupervised.
Household items
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Tie up cords on curtains or blinds or otherwise keep them out of children’s reach.
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Always tie a knot in plastic bags before throwing them out, and store them away from children.
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Throw all plastic or polythene packing away immediately after you’ve removed it from an item.
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Remove plastic covers on cot mattresses.
What to do if your child chokes on food or a small object
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If your child is still able to breathe, he or she may be able to dislodge the object by coughing.
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If they are still breathing, do not hit your child on the back to try and dislodge the food. This may move the food so that it blocks the airway and causes him or her to stop breathing.
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Stay with your child closely and watch to see if breathing improves. If it does not get better in a few minutes, call 000 for an ambulance.
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If your child is not breathing, try to dislodge the object by holding the child face down over your lap so that his or her head is lower than his or her chest.
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Give your child four sharp blows on the back just below the shoulder blades.
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Check your child again for signs of breathing. If he or she is still not breathing, call the ambulance service urgently. The trained professional at the end of the line will talk you through what to do while the ambulance is on its way.
Last Reviewed: 13 June 2001
