The statistics are alarming. Airway obstruction is the leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths of children under the age of 1 year in the United States. According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, 88 percent of deaths and nearly 80 percent of hospital emergency room visits for airway obstruction injuries involved children 4 years old and under.
Any item that can block a child's airway is a choking hazard. And, as most parents can testify, infants and toddlers put anything and everything in their mouths. Choking occurs when food or small objects, such as toys with small parts, buttons, popcorn, or grapes, get caught in the throat or block the airway, preventing oxygen from traveling to the lungs and brain. After more than 4 minutes without oxygen, brain damage or even death can occur.
As the old saying goes, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." To avoid airway obstruction in children, prevention is clearly the best strategy.
Remembering the information and tips that can help prevent choking in their children is difficult for busy parents and caregivers. Therefore the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation recognized the need for easy-to-use information to help prevent airway obstruction in young children. The IFIC Foundation, in partnership with the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, developed a poster for parents, educators, childcare providers, and health professionals. The poster, "Prevent Childhood Choking: It's Up to You," is printed in English on one side and Spanish on the other side to provide this most important information to a wide audience. Although childhood choking occurs all too frequently and often with tragic results, these accidents can often be prevented. The choking prevention poster may help parents and caregivers readily remember these important tips.
To order the poster, write to Choking Prevention Poster; International Food Information Council Foundation, 1100 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 430, Washington, DC 20036. Requests for multiple copies must be accompanied by a check made out to the International Food Information Council Foundation (single copies are free; additional copies are $1.50 each). The poster is also available on-line at http://www.ific.org/publications/brochures/chokingpos.cfm.
