Tragedy leads to education and advocacy
In my first year of practice, one of my patient families lost a little one to food choking. I’ll never forget the look on the mother’s face when she told me. As a result of this experience, I discuss choking hazards as part of my anticipatory guidance for caregivers in my under-three visits, and you should, too. Our role as educators goes so much deeper than teaching caregivers about the mouth alone. If we can spare just one family this tragedy, it will all be time well spent.
Choking is the leading cause of death in children under age four.
As dental professionals, let’s help make that statistic a thing of the past by educating caregivers at their child’s under-three dental visits.
Do you know the most common culprits of childhood food choking?
Many caregivers do not know which foods most commonly lead to choking incidents in children. I find that many are also unaware of the appropriate sizes to cut and prepare the foods so that they can be safely consumed.
- Hot dogs (cut them first lengthwise and widthwise into quarters)
- Grapes (cut them into halves, quarters if large or a child is under age 3)
- Nuts and seeds
- Popcorn
- Peanut butter (less is more)
- Marshmallows
- Gum and hard candy (jolly ranchers are notorious)
- Carrots (shred them or cook until soft)
- Apples (chop into small bites or cook until soft)
Teach caregivers the three Ps of food choking:
Practice good eating hygiene
- Sit down to eat (avoid eating in the car if at all possible, especially when rear-facing)
- Have an adult close by and paying attention
- Save the silliness for after snacks or meals
Prevent
- Keep small parts (1.25 inches or less, about the size of a quarter), toys, balloons, bags, plastic wrappings, stuffing, and coins out of the child’s reach.
- Button batteries and small magnets, if swallowed, can be deadly! Inform caregivers that this is a true emergency and they should proceed to the ER immediately if they suspect a child swallower either.
Prepare for a choking incident
- Teach children the universal choking sign (see image at the top of the blog).
- Purchase a suction device for your car, home, and your child’s preschool class! (I have both the LifeVac Home & Travel (Amazon) and the Dechoker Toddler & Child (Amazon)).
- Take a CPR course and learn the Heimlich maneuver.
