Home > Keeping Kids Healthy > Show Topics > Preventing Choking a...

Preventing Choking and Drowning

Did you know that drowning is the Number 1 cause of death among children under five years old?   And that choking is another leading killer, taking a child's life every five days?  Beyond the personal tragedy, the saddest thing about accidental death in children is how much CAN BE DONE to prevent it - BUT ISN'T DONE!  There are simple steps every parent or caretaker should take that can save your own child's life, and prevent water and choking-related disasters in all the children around you!

Join host Dr. Winnie King and meet some courageous guests - some very fortunate, and others whose lives have been changed forever by tragedy - who will show you how to avoid their mistakes, and protect your own child.  You'll also meet a boy whose quick thinking triggered a first-aid response from a cafeteria monitor, and saved his life.  Does your child know how to protect himself?  Do your school personnel have the safety training they need?  Do you?  If you learn and practice the things we'll show you on this program, you can greatly reduce the risk of losing your child to choking and drowning.  So don't tune out because you think you already know how to keep your children safe.  Tune in - your child's life may depend on it.

Guests:

Emily Cole, age 3
Gary Cole, Emily’s father
Joe Dimaria, age 10
Jean Dimaria, Joe’s mom
Michelle Shapiro & her baby, Max
Rae-Ann Johnson, age 3
Lisa Johnson, Rae-Ann’s mom
Gregory duSablon
Kim and Stew Leonard, Co-founders, The Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation
Jeffrey Avner, MD - Director, Emergency Department, The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, NY
Lynn Kemp RN - Administrative Director for Trauma Services, St. Barnabas Hospital, Bronx NY

Tips:  

Prevent Drowning:

Remember: DROWNING IS SILENT – YOU WILL NOT HEAR YOUR CHILD SPLASHING AROUND!  YOU MUST BE WATCHING AT ALL TIMES!

Rules of the pool: 

  • Adults must watch their own kids or use a “tag-system” and designate one parent to watch at all times.
  • Kids should use a Buddy system – pair up with one other child and help and watch out for each other.
  • Keep a phone by the pool – NEVER leave the pool to answer the phone; keep emergency numbers next to a poolside phone.
  • Fence Your Pool – make sure your kids and your neighbor’s kids cannot get in without an adult.
  • Use power safety cover – this is a mechanically operated cover, NOT a soft solar sheet.
  • Wear a life jacket – but do not rely on this or other flotation devices to support your kid.
  • If a child is missing, look in the pool first! Also use lights in the bottom of the pool.
  • Choose a bright swim suit so you can see your child under water.
  • Learn CPR.

Other water hazards to be aware of:

  • Bathtub:  Don’t rely on bath seats. Never leave a baby alone in tub, no matter what, not even for a few seconds.
  • Buckets – inside & outdoors – empty them before you walk away, a small child can drown in just an inch of water.
  • Toilet lid – latch it!
  • Dog dish – again, beware:  a small child can drown in just one inch of water.
  • Ponds, lakes, rivers, ocean:  Talk to older children about risk-taking behaviors around the water.


Choking Prevention:

A small child’s airway is as narrow as a straw – so keep that in mind when serving food:

  • Cut hotdogs lengthwise into quarters and then dice.
  • Avoid spoons of peanut butter – they are like glue against the airway.
  • Monitor popcorn consumption.
  • Avoid round candy – this can completely block the airway.
  • Soften & cut carrots
  • Avoid nuts – these can cause allergic reaction or get lodged in airway.
  • Cut grapes in half or even quarters.

Tips for safer eating:

  • Mom was right!  Mind your manners:
  • Eat slowly
  • Sit down
  • Don’t talk & laugh with food in your mouth.
  • Hot dogs are especially dangerous because of their shape and because kids run around while eating them.
  • It’s not just food that’s a choking danger:
  • Any toy that fits through the hole of a toilet paper roll is too small for a young child.
  • Beware of antique toys, or even slightly out of date toys from older kids or at grandparents’ houses – they may not meet current consumer product safety commission standards. 
  • Monitor older kids playing with younger children.
  • Latex balloons are a huge hazard – they will block the airway and are nearly impossible to get out. Never give a small child a balloon.
  • Beware of strangulation hazards like pacifiers on strings and window cord blinds.

Resources:

The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc

Safe Kids Worldwide
http://www.safekids.org/
202-662-0600

Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation
www.stewleonards.com/water_safety/home.cfm
800-729-7839