List of Choking Hazards: Foods, Household Items and Toys

List of Choking Hazards:  Foods, Household Items and Toys

Foods:

• Hot dogs (especially cut into a coin shape), meats, sausages, and fish with bones
• Popcorn, chips, pretzel nuggets, and snack foods
• Candy (especially hard or sticky candy), cough drops, gum, lollipops, marshmallows, caramels, hard candies, and jelly beans
• Whole grapes, raw vegetables, raw peas, fruits, fruits with skins, seeds, carrots, celery, and cherries
• Dried fruits, sunflower seeds, all nuts, including peanuts
• Peanut butter, (especially in spoonfuls or with soft white bread)
• Ice cubes and cheese cubes
• Foods that clump, are sticky or slippery, or dry and hard textured
• Food size and shape, especially round or a shape that could conform to the shape and size of the trachea (windpipe). The size of a young child's trachea (windpipe) or breathing tube is approximately the size of a drinking straw in diameter.
• Combinations of food size, texture, and shape can pose a threat. For example, a slippery hard candy with a round shape about the size of a drinking straw could block an airway (windpipe)

Household Items/Toys:

• Latex balloons, coins, marbles, toys with small parts, small balls, pen or marker caps, button type batteries, medicine syringes, screws, stuffing from a bean bag chair, rings, earrings, crayons, erasers, staples, safety pins, small stones, tiny figures, and holiday decorations including tinsel, or ornaments and lights
• Any toy or other object that is labeled as a potential choking hazard

Remember Choking Injuries and Deaths are Preventable!


Check out these other helpful links
Important Facts about Choking Hazards
Choking Prevention & Precaution TIPS for PARENTS
List of Choking Hazards:  Foods, Household Items and Toys 

Important Facts about Choking Hazards and Injuries

In response to "J.T" who died after choking on a hot dog while on vacation, New York State enacted legislation to help parents, caregivers and providers recognize common choking hazards for children and prevention tips. This legislation is known as " J.T.'s Law".  The following information is provided to help educate parents, caregivers, and providers about how to prevent choking incidents and possible deaths.

Important Facts about Choking Hazards and Injuries

• Choking is the fourth leading cause of unintentional death in children under the age of 5.
• Children under age 5 are at greatest risk for choking injury and death.
• Toys, household items and foods can all be a choking hazard.
• The most common cause of nonfatal choking in young children is food.
• At least one child dies from choking on food every five days in the U.S., and more than 10,000 children are taken to a hospital emergency room each year for food-choking injuries.
• Toy manufacturers label toys for choking hazards and some food manufacturers voluntarily label food products as posing a potential choking risk; however, any food can present a choking risk.
• Education regarding choking risks, precautions to take in avoiding these risks, and known life saving procedures are necessary to eliminate senseless and tragic injuries and deaths caused by choking.
• Pediatricians, family practice physicians, health care workers, parents, grandparents, day care workers, school personnel, older children, siblings, babysitters and communities as a whole play a key role in the prevention of injuries and need to share information with caregivers to identify potential choking hazards.
• The size of a young child's trachea (windpipe) or breathing tube is approximately the size of a drinking straw in diameter. Imagine a piece of popcorn being lodged in this small area!

Check out these other helpful links
Important Facts about Choking Hazards
Choking Prevention & Precaution TIPS for PARENTS
List of Choking Hazards:  Foods, Household Items and Toys