Choking In Children: What To Do And How To Prevent It?

Choking in children is a common accident that can lead to death. For this reason, the best alternative is to prevent by supervising eating and playing.

Based on available data, it is estimated that choking in children is one of the most common accidents and the third leading cause of unnatural death, both in childhood and in old age. Therefore, it is necessary to act on two fronts: prevention and approach.

Choking prevention in children is the best alternative. Since this is a situation that can lead to death, it is best to eliminate the risks of this happening. Mainly, it is from four months of age when it becomes a latent danger.

If in any case choking cannot be avoided in children, it is important to know what to do to avoid serious consequences. There are simple first aid measures that can save the life of the little one and that, for the same reason, must be known.

Choking in children

More precisely, and as this information from the Spanish Association of Pediatrics points out,  choking in children is the obstruction of the airway  by the effect of a foreign body. In the worst case, the airways are completely blocked, so air stops reaching the lungs and death ensues.

Most of these cases of obstruction occur in children under 3 years of age. The highest peak appears in children between 6 and 12 months, when complementary feeding is started. Almost always the foreign object that is choked on is a food that, very often, corresponds to a dried fruit or a hard candy.

Other dangerous foods are meat and sausages , as well as bones and thorns. Because of their texture and shape, sausages are also risky. In general, any solid object that fits in a child’s mouth is also dangerous.

Prevention measures

Choking in children has an unpredictable outcome, so it is best to prevent it. The first thing to keep in mind is that the vast majority of these cases occur when eating or when children are playing. So it is essential to supervise the little ones in these activities.

Other preventive measures are the following:

• Take care of complementary feeding and avoid some foods : nuts and those that have stones, such as cherries or plums, should not be placed within the reach of children before they are 5 years old or we are sure they know how to eat them.
• Small objects and toys : Small solid objects should not be left within the reach of children, such as batteries or marbles. Special care must be taken with balloons and similar toys, since due to their material they are easily fixed and obstruct the airways, as this study published in the Pediatric Emergency Protocols points out.

• Rules during the meal : children must eat sitting at the table and not lying down. Not while running and playing. They must be taught to chew properly.
• Avoid necklaces : children should never wear necklaces, much less if they are made of beads or small objects.

What to do in case of choking in children?

If a child suffers from choking despite preventive measures, the first thing to do is remain calm. This allows a quick assessment of the situation to know what to do. When the child is choking, the first thing he manages to do is cough, talk, or cry.

If your little one coughs, it’s best to let him do it and encourage him to keep going. Sometimes improper intervention causes the foreign object to move and be more difficult to remove. Avoid hitting her back, pressing her abdomen, or giving her something to drink. When the child coughs ineffectively, it is appropriate to call 911 and, while they go, do the following:

• Stand him up and make him bow his head.
• Put one arm under the child’s armpit and support the chest with your hand.
• With the other hand, strike the upper part of the child’s back between the shoulder blades. The lower part of the palm should be used and no more than five strokes should be struck.

The Heimlich maneuver

If the child does not expel the choking object, the next step is to perform the Heimlich maneuver up to five times in a row. This is done as follows:

• You should stand behind the child and wrap your arms around his waist.
• Make a fist with one of the hands, putting the knuckle of the thumb above the navel, at the level of the pit of the stomach.
• With the other hand you should cover the fist and make a strong pressure inwards and upwards.

• If the child is unconscious, it is appropriate to do 30 pressures on the chest, followed by two air blows into the child’s mouth, keeping his nose covered. This, until help arrives.

We hope that all this information about choking in children will help you in case your little one suffers a choking and the health services take a long time to reach the place.