Choking Hazards

If you are reading on a smartphone, use landscape / hold phone sideways. 

A choking hazard is any object that could be caught in a child's throat blocking their airway and making it difficult or impossible to breathe. 

10 Choking Hazards for Babies and Toddlers are whole grapes, hard candies, taffy, gum, nuts, seeds, popcorn, peanut butter and raw vegetables and cookies. 

Toys, household items and foods can all be a choking hazard for a young child. The most common cause of nonfatal choking in young children is food. At least one child dies from choking on food every five days in the USA. More than 12,000 children are taken to a hospital emergency room each year for food choking injuries. 

What size is a choking hazard in children? 

Avoid marbles, coins, balls, and games that are 1.75 inches (4.4 centimeters) in diameter or less because they get stuck in the throat above the windpipe and make breathing difficult. 

Are wooden blocks a choking hazard? Well, yes - if splinters off wooden blocks are not smoothly finished. Choking on small parts of building block sets or on broken parts of brittle plastic blocks. You can also get cuts from the sharp edges of broken brittle plastic blocks. 

How wide is a 3 year old's esophagus? Well, the opening is slightly wider than a quarter, or about the width of two fingers. Some parents use a toilet paper roll tube as a practical alternative to a small parts tester. If it fits down the tube, it's too small. 

Where are you going with this Tom?

Well, is there ANYTHING that I said so far that you would call fake news? Is there anything that I said so far that you could twist into a political argument? Is there anything about child choking hazards that should be (could be) blocked, or hidden or twisted into misinformation? 

Again: At least one child dies from choking on food every five days in the USA.

Fact. Not fake news, sadly. 

Now ask yourself: regardless of your political affiliation, regardless of your age, your religion, is there ANYTHING I said so far in this Sunday Blog that you would take offense? Is there anything in this blog that you would not share immediately with a new parent, or someone that you cared about? Is there anything in this blog that should not be read by everyone in the USA?

Or, are there people out there fighting for their FREEDOM! Don't tell me what my kid can put in his mouth! Don't push your science or research on me! I'll decide what my kid can and cannot eat, or play with! Fake Science! You are anti-toy! You are anti-grape!!!! 

My guess, is that there are very (very) few people who are Pro-Choking Hazard in the USA. What do you think? 

So why does SCIENCE and RESEARCH make so much sense, and feel so right for combating Childhood Choking, and not for combating a pandemic? 

I guess we should just be thankful that the Anti-Anti-Choking coalition never took hold in this country, am I right?