Nearly 4,000 men, women and children in the United States die each year from accidental choking. Nearly two-thirds of children who choked to death were three years of age or younger. Most of these deaths can be avoided. Supervise mealtimes for young children.
Many choking cases occur when older brothers or sisters offer unsafe foods to a younger child.
Avoid toys with small parts and keep other small household items out of reach of young children. Balloons are particularly dangerous. If a child is choking, first find out if the child can breathe, cry or speak. A strong cough generally means little or no blockage and the child may be able to dislodge the blockage by coughing. Only begin first aid if the child cannot breathe at all, or the child's airway is so blocked that there's only a weak cough and a loss of color.