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Toddler choking hazards are everywhere, especially since your toddler will likely want to put everything in her mouth. It’s important to both understand what to do when your child is choking, as well as how to prevent it.
Babyproofing your house is the first step to prevent baby and toddler choking. Making sure items are properly stored in restricted or child-proofed areas will limit exposure to potential choking hazards. Train all family members to put trash where it belongs and make sure there are no water bottles or toys left where curious hands can get to them.
Signs your child is choking
You can spot choking by recognizing a few simple signs. It doesn’t matter what language your child speaks (if he can even speak), everyone who is choking will almost always grab their throat in some level of distress. Other signs your child is choking include the inability to talk or cry, weak or squeaky sounds, coughing, and bluish lips, nails, or skin. A choking person with an obstruction long enough may lose consciousness.
Beware of these 7 food choking hazards and 7 household choking hazards
7 Foods to avoid
Cut your toddler’s food into small enough pieces to prevent choking. Even children who know how to chew properly are at risk of choking. Often children are more interested in running off to play or tell a story rather than finish the job of eating. When at a party or picnic, make sure kids finish eating before they go to play. Here are seven foods to avoid or chop smaller for kids to prevent choking:
- Hot dogs or sausages
- Grapes
- Carrots
- Hard candy or gum
- Nuts
- Cherry tomatoes
- Olives
By cutting these foods up or avoiding them altogether and monitoring your young eater, you can prevent emergencies from happening.
7 Household choking hazards
It isn’t just food that is a choking hazard for moms to be aware of. There are so many different household items, designed for kids or not, that are common choking hazards.
“I always struggled whether I should let my older daughter play with Legos,” explained mom of two, Melissa Vodenhal, to Mom.com. “There was this inner fear that my son would get ahold of them and choke.”
Seven household choking hazards to keep an eye on with small children include:
- Toys with small parts
- Marbles, river rocks, or stones
- Smartphone earbuds
- Latex balloons
- Coins
- Watch batteries
- Bottlecaps
Stephani Laing, the founder of Elite Emergency Response, has an easy way to recognize choking hazards. “The diameter of your child’s airway is about the same diameter as their pinkie finger,” she told Mom.com. If something is wider than that, use caution and don’t let your baby play with it.
How to help a choking toddler
If your child is choking, assess the situation before you do anything else. If she is forcefully crying or coughing, encourage her to continue because it means there is still air passing through. Don’t try to dig the object out as tempting as that is; you could push it farther down and create a bigger problem.
If your child is having trouble getting air through, his lips turn bluish, no sounds are coming out, or he passes out, it’s time to start first-aid choking protocol. Start with five back blows these are often enough to dislodge the item. Use the base of your palm and strike the back between the shoulder blades five times.
If that doesn’t work, take your toddler from behind with a fist just above his navel. Position your other hand over it and pull forcefully in and up toward you. This is the Heimlich maneuver. Do this five times paying attention if anything comes flying out. Alternate between back blows and the Heimlich maneuver.
Children may vomit with the Heimlich maneuver. Any child that goes unconscious for any period of time needs to see a doctor. Call 911 or go directly to the emergency room.
