St John’s Ambulance show us how to save a choking baby in 40 seconds in their latest video. Over 40% of parents surveyed in St John’s first aid courses said they have witnessed their own baby choke and almost four-fifths didn’t know what to do when in this situation. Take a look at the video below, you never know when you may need these skills!
What Choke Hazards Do you Have in Your Home?
It is easy for choke hazards to accumulate in your child’s play area, especially if you have an older child with a younger sibling. Here is a photo of what I found when sorting through our children’s room and play area. Anything that is big enough to fit through a toilet roll is classified as a choke hazard. You can use the toilet roll test if you are in doubt, if it fits through toilet roll, put it aside for when your youngest has stopped putting toys and small items in their mouth.
Choking Hazards in the Home
The Canadian Paediatric Society tells us that “Virtually all deaths and serious injuries from choking, suffocation and strangulation are preventable”. Take a look around your home and store possible hazards out of your child’s reach or in a locked cupboard. Poorly made toys that break apart easily can be a choke hazard, make sure what you give your child is robust and won’t break easily. If it does break throw it out! Possible choke hazards can include:
- Bottle caps, plastic soda bottle tops, plastic screw-top caps, etc
- Coins
- Disc batteries – store all batteries in a locked cupboard up and away from a child’s reach.
- Latex balloons
- Lego, other small toys
- Marbles, small rubber balls
- Foods (e.g hard candy, grapes, nuts, marshmallows, popcorn, fish balls, etc)
- Plastic corners snipped from milk bags or icy poles
- Plastic bags
- Buttons
Be careful when preparing and serving the following food to your child:
- Grapes – slice lengthwise
- Hot dogs, sausages – slice lengthwise
- Raw carrots, apples – chopped or grated
- Fish with bones
- Fish balls (fish ball soup)
Complete a CPR First Aid Course Now
The knowledge that you (and your child’s carers) will receive in a first aid course (by a qualified trainer) will help prepare you for a first aid emergency. Don’t wait, complete one as soon as you can and try to refresh your training annually. If you are based in Kuala Lumpur Jenlia2U (Co-founded by our Advisor and Chief Panelist Jennifer Hor) conduct regular first aid training, please contact them to register.
Remember to be on the look out in new places that may not be baby or child friendly such as friends houses, public places and shops with young children.
Maree has over five years of experience in Occupational Health and Safety and in the development of safety standards, training workshops and improvement initiatives. She is passionate about health, safety and education. Maree, a mother of two children, has a Advanced Diploma in OHS and will be graduating soon with a B.Sc. (HSE) from Australia.
