Dont CHOKE your child

[Sci Medical & Health]

One another good articles from our neighbours website. Another precautions to bear in minds.

PREVENT CHOKING

Choking occurs when food or small objects block the airway. When this happens it prevents oxygen from getting to the lungs and the brain. When the brain is without oxygen for more than 4 minutes, brain damage and even death can occur.

Choking is a common cause of death here in Singapore, especially by food. Many children die from choking each year. While adults are more adept at recovering or even preventing themselves from being choked by foodstuff, children may have less control, and babies, even less. Parents and caregivers can thus do much to prevent their kids from choking on foodstuff.

Choking is a common cause of unintentional death in children under the age of one. Avoid all foods that could lodge in a child's throat. Some examples include popcorn, grapes, food with pits, raisins, nuts, hard candies, raw vegetables, and small pieces of hotdogs.
Never let children of any age eat or suck on anything, such as hard candy, while lying down.

Keep floors, tables and cabinet tops free of small objects that could be swallowed. Such objects include coins, button-sized batteries, rings, nails, tacks and broken or deflated balloons.

Babies - Suffocation
Babies are most prone to suffocation during their sleep.

Infants, when placed on an adult bed of any kind, can roll into the space between the wall and the mattress and suffocate. Exercise caution if sleeping in the same bed with an infant. It is possible for an infant to become wedged between your body and the mattress and suffocate. Infants should not be placed on top of soft surfaces like sofas, large soft toys, sofa cushions, pillows, waterbeds or on top of blankets, quilts or comforters.

Keep these other precautions in mind:

Babies should sleep on their backs.

Crib bars should be no more than 6-7 cm apart to prevent infants from getting their heads stuck between them.

The crib mattress must fit tightly so there are no gaps for an infant to fall into. Keep the crib clear of plastic sheets, pillows and large stuffed animals or toys. These items can cause suffocation.

Keep toys with long strings or cords away from infants and young children. A cord can become wrapped around an infant's neck and cause strangulation. Toys with long strings, cords, loops or ribbons should never be hung in cribs or playpens. Similarly, pacifiers should never be attached to strings or ribbons around the baby's neck.

Check window curtains for potentially hazardous pull cords. Avoid accordion style safety gates with large openings between bars that children could fit their heads through and get stuck.

Children
Children 4 years and below are very likely to swallow anything they get their hands on, or at least attempt to bite on them. Keeping your home free of loose objects that can suffocate them is a first step to preventing choking. Education of the child is also essential.

Eat well

Insist that your children eat meals at the table, or at least sitting down. Never let your children walk or run with food in their mouth.

Supervise mealtimes for infants and young children. Young children can choke on food or objects an older child has given them. An example may be when an older child picks up free hard candy in a restaurant and gives to the infant.

Teach your children to chew their food well before swallowing. Create a game out of it.

A Safe Home

Remove small objects that may be hidden in the carpet or under furniture that a child may put into his/her mouth and choke on. Make this a daily habit while your children are young.

Keep your home clear of all small objects. This would include jewellery or coins you might place on low tables when relaxing for the evening. Watch your home for things that may become detached easily. These objects include buttons, pen caps, furniture knobs or small light bulbs that may become detached by you or your child.

Warn your guests who are staying overnight not to leave small objects around that may cause choking to your young children or baby. Extra caution should also be taken when you visit other people’s homes.

Keep medicine and pills out of reach. And do not take them in front of children. Children learn to imitate their parents at an early age.

Avoid buying toys with small parts, especially if they are plastic. Children are often more enthused with the parts that come off than the toy itself. Follow age recommendations manufacturers place on toy packages in the stores.

Keep small household items out of reach. Small toys and household objects can be kept safely out of reach in plastic jars or containers. Lock up small toys, and drawers in the house that your child may be able to reach.

Keep your older children’s toys out of reach if your child is under three. Teach older children the importance of this. Keep younger children out of older children’s rooms in the house. Encourage older children to play only in their room when playing with small toys or games with small pieces.

Never let a small child play with a deflated balloon. Supervise your child if they are playing with a balloon. Balloons will often pop or deflate and have little pieces that can be swallowed. Pop the balloon and discard the pieces once it starts to lose air.

Empty ashtrays regularly if you smoke. A child may want to imitate you and put a cigarette butt in his mouth.

Small batteries are a common danger if left around the house or if a small child removes one from a watch, camera or calculator. Store these items safely away.

The following lists of foods and other materials pose a choking hazard for children. Although not complete, this list includes foods and objects most often reported by emergency room doctors:

Foods: Chunks of meat, chunks of peanut butter, grapes, hot dogs, nuts, popcorn, raisins, fruit peels.

Household objects: Balloons, light bulbs (small torchlights), small toy balls, coins, batteries, marbles, buttons, cigarette butts, nails, screws, tacks, cough drops, paper clips, crayon pieces, pen caps, furniture knobs, game pieces, safety pins, jewellery, toy parts.

Be prepared... just in case
Be prepared in case your child does choke on a small object or food. Take an approved class in basic First Aid, CPR or emergency prevention.

When a person is unable to speak, cough or breathe, they need immediate first aid to dislodge the object in their throat and restore normal breathing.

First Aid differs for choking victims, depending on their age. For a conscious adult or child over 1 year of age, experts recommend the Heimlich maneuver. Stand behind the victim, make a fist, place it above her navel, put your other hand on top of your fist, and give quick, upward thrusts.

For conscious infants, give five back blows followed by five chest thrusts. Check the mouth with your finger only if you can see the object near the front of the mouth and you are able to remove the object.

Call for emergency help and start CPR to clear the airway of a choking victim whose breathing or heartbeat has stopped.