Recently, we hosted a workshop for parents on First Aid and CPR for infants and children. Colette Swietnicki led the session with verve and humor, as she explained the physiology of choking (an infant’s windpipe is the width of a straw) and what to do when it occurs. She covered the main choking hazards for toddlers, which include some things you might not think of:
- Batteries
- Small toys
- Coins, marbles, small stones
- Balloons
- Round, uncut foods such as grapes
- Magnets
- Chewy, sticky foods like peanut butter
- Hard foods such as nuts, popcorn, and candy
- Art supplies such as beads and small objects
- Hot dogs
Parents contributed their own ideas, such as nicotine patches that might be discarded and picked up by a child. She showed videos of CPR for different age groups and shared her knowledge. Links to those videos are below this post.
Thank you, Colette, for presenting on this important topic!
