One of the most common questions we hear from parents is why are children at such a high risk when it comes to choking. It\u2019s one of the leading causes of fatalities among kids, and caregivers want to better understand that risk so they can know how to prevent it.<\/p>\n
Indeed, kids do face a much higher chance of choking than a typical adult. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics<\/a>, a child will die about every five days from choking in the United States alone. There are a few reasons kids are at a higher risk.<\/p>\n First, children don\u2019t have the cognitive risk-preventing processes of adults. What does that mean in layman\u2019s terms? It means kids will put anything in their mouths. Most parents know this simple fact all too well. Children under the age of 5 just haven\u2019t developed the thought processes we take for granted as we age, such as knowing when a bite of food is too big or knowing not to eat while running around. This is why it\u2019s not uncommon to hear of a baby or toddler choking on a household object like a coin, a deflated balloon or a toy, which older children and adults would never think to put in their mouths.<\/p>\n Second, kids are simply at a higher risk because their airways are smaller. A young child can easily choke on a bite of food that an adult would never think twice about. We\u2019ve talked to many parents who have been surprised to learn how small certain foods should be prepared. For instance, many doctors recommend grapes be cut in halves or even quarters for kids.<\/p>\n As kids get older, their thought processes improve and they become more aware of what they should put in their mouths. Children also get better at simple anatomical processes like swallowing and fully chewing their food. Nevertheless, risks remain as their bodies continue to grow.<\/p>\n Now that you know more about the risk, what steps can you take as a parent toward choking prevention? We\u2019ve got a few suggestions that we believe every caregiver should know:<\/p>\nWhat You Can Do About It<\/h2>\n
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