Preventing Airway Foreign Body
From the moment they are born, babies are curious. They want to taste, feel and learn about their environment in particular, and the world in general, using their mouth. Until the age of 5, however, the ability of babies and children to swallow is not sufficiently developed and their airways are particularly narrow. Small objects and food that babies and children put in their mouths can get stuck in the trachea and cause suffocation, so it is important to keep an eye on them to prevent such a dangerous situation.
To know how to safely feed the baby, which foods to be wary of and the additional safety rules - read here about safe feeding to prevent choking.
Not only is food dangerous for babies and small children, small objects such as coins can be dangerous as well. In addition to the importance of maintaining constant eye contact with babies and paying attention to what they put in their mouths, there are two rules of thumb:
- Any items that can fit into a box smaller than an egg or a ping pong ball may cause suffocation, and as such must be kept out of the baby's reach. If you have a doubt and are not sure about the size, it is better to be careful and keep the object out of the baby’s reach.
- Get down to the baby's eye level and spot anything in the area that can endanger the baby. After you have made sure that the environment is safe and does not contain small objects, put the baby down.
Examples of dangerous objects for babies and children under 5 years of age
Written with the assistance of the Beterem organization – the National Center for Children's Health and Safety