Preventing Foreign Body Aspiration

The recommendation is to prevent babies and children under the age of 5 from playing with magnets. They are not only choking hazards, they may cause severe damage to internal organs and the digestive tract. In case a child inserted a magnet into the mouth and you are afraid that he or she swallowed it - immediately seek medical attention.

Make sure children do not put small lumps of play dough in their mouths as it may cause choking. You should also make sure that the play dough is made of a non-toxic material.

Objects found in every home such as coins, buttons, beads, pins, batteries (button batteries and finger batteries), pen caps, shoelaces, and the like. Make sure that the environment of babies and children is free of this type of objects and keep these objects out of the reach of babies and children.

Babies have a tendency to grab and pull jewelry like necklaces and earrings, and explore the world with their tiny hands. It is important to make sure that they do not put the jewelry in their mouths. It is also important to avoid putting on this type of jewelry on a baby.

Curtains can be dangerous and babies in general have a tendency to pull or drag fabrics with exposed threads. Keep babies and small children away from them. For example, if there is a curtain in the room you are in, play in the center of the room, where the baby cannot reach it.

Getting out into the fresh air is recommended every day for babies and children of any age. Make sure there are no small stones or leftover food or dirt in the environment where the baby crawls, as babies might put those in their mouths.

Even deflated and torn balloons can be extremely dangerous. Make sure that there are no balloons or balloon parts in the vicinity of babies and children under the age of 8. Especially after birth, balloons are a common gift and parents use to decorate the baby's bed with them in the first days after the birth. The same is true if you hold a birthday party (congratulations!). Note that one or two balloons may burst during or after the party and the remains of the torn balloons can be a hazard. Pay attention and keep ribbons or strings with which the balloons are tied out of the reach of babies and children.

You should know: choking on latex balloons is the most common cause of death due to suffocation.

Ribbons or straps that hold the pacifier in the baby's mouth can be dangerous for two reasons. First, it is important that the baby can spit out the pacifier freely, otherwise he or she may be at risk of suffocation. Secondly, the baby may grab the ribbon that the pacifier is tied to with the hands or mouth and put it in the mouth, and this may be dangerous in itself. Do not create an improvised pacifier holder. It is better to purchase standard-compliant pacifier holders in stores.

Throw out or keep out of the reach of babies and small children nylon and plastic bags and pay special attention to the small, tearable parts that connect the bags to each other in the package. Plastic may also cause suffocation if the baby puts it on the face and not just when the baby puts it in the mouth.

Babies and small (and curious) children may want to taste the food of your pet. Dry pet food is usually small and can cause choking, so keep the food and water bowls out of their reach. For example, you can get your animal used to eat in a room that is inaccessible to the baby. In addition, pet food is not intended for humans.

In a house with siblings of different ages, make sure to separate the toys of older siblings, such as Lego and assembly games, from the games of the babies.