Choking Child Prevention GUIDED DISCUSSION
Let’s look at the Rules to Prevent Choking in your booklet on page 33. What are some things that children under age 5 shouldn’t…?
• Eat? (Hard candy, nuts, popcorn, smooth round foods like hot dogs or grapes, or sticky foods that can ball up like marshmallows.)
• Play with? (Latex balloons, coins, marbles, or small balls.) • Put in their mouths? (Anything smaller than child’s fist.)
Is it okay to let a child eat while they are running around or playing? Why or why not? (No; if they are not seated and focused on eating, they can swallow or inhale when they are not ready to, causing food to obstruct – block – the airway.)
Note to Instructor: How to answer questions that participants often ask
1. Why do children choke more often than adults?
Actually, choking is more common with the very young and the very old – it’s related to coordination and teeth! In the very young, choking is common because children are curious and explore by putting everything in their mouth. Small, interesting, shiny objects are likely to attract the child’s attention, and small children have small airways which are easy to block. And young children, like the very old, typically don’t take the time or have the ability to chew food well.
2. How do I decide whether to do back blows/chest thrusts or the abdominal thrusts if I don’t know when the child’s exact birthday is?
Just make the best decision you can at the time with what you know about the child’s size and age. If an infant is a little less than a year old, but is walking and seems large for an infant, it is okay to do abdominal thrusts. The same is true of a small toddler who is just past their first birthday but is small for their age – it is okay to do the back blows/chest thrusts. The most important thing is to make your decision quickly and calmly and then start the steps to rescue the choking child.
3. Why is it so important to act quickly when the child is choking? Isn’t it better to let them try to get it out on their own?
Remember the difference between coughing and choking. If the child is still moving air, then he is coughing, and you want
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