Why the Holiday Season Poses Danger to Toddlers
December 12, 2005 | First Aid and Safety
During the holiday season, emergency room doctors say they expect to care for more children who have choked on or inhaled something they should never have put in their mouth. In rare cases children do not survive.
Most parents and care-givers watch carefully when their young children eat, carefully cutting up every bite and making sure children’s toys are age appropriate. But doctors say during the holiday season, children three and under are more vulnerable.
That’s when kids attend crowded family gatherings, have access to enticing decorations, inappropriate foods and older children’s toys.
“You want to be especially vigilant around toys or ornaments that look like candy,” said Dr. Tony Woodward, emergency room director at Children’s Hospital in Seattle. “Kids will chew on them, think they are candy, they can break off cause damage or end up in the lungs or the esophagus.”
Choking is when something gets stuck in the throat. In most cases, coughing pops the object out.
Aspirating is when something gets stuck in or above the lung.
“One of the most common things kids aspirate or go into the lungs are organic foods: popcorn, peanuts, those can cause significant injury to the lungs and need to be removed surgically,” Woodward said.
He suggest parents always keep hard candies and latex balloons away from small children. Watch out for game pieces, too.
A toilet paper roll can serve as a good measurement of toy safety. If the object fits inside, it’s too small for a child under three.