Choking Hazards for Children

As the holiday season begins, Thomson Rogers LLP’s Daniel Garas shares vital tips to prevent choking hazards and keep little ones safe around gifts, toys, and food.

As a personal injury lawyer, we’re always concerned during the holiday season that children may swallow toys or food that may obstruct their airway.

Some statistics say that almost 40% of accidental deaths for children under the age of one are due to choking. Many incidents could be avoided if we just do a few simple things. For example, smaller toys in children under one should just be avoided altogether. Things that they can put in their mouth and swallow will obstruct their airway. Toys that are larger will sometimes come with smaller, removable pieces, so those should also be avoided.

The other thing is batteries. Batteries can often be taken straight out of the toy and either obstruct the child’s airway or, if swallowed, cause internal injury to the child. We can’t stress enough to make sure you’re buying age-appropriate toys that are safe for the child to use.

I should also mention that hand-me-down toys sometimes are one component, but because of wear and tear, then it can result in smaller pieces being removed from the toy. Those toys should be checked.

And when it comes to that holiday feast, make sure that the child is really eating only food that they’re able to eat, whether it’s soft foods or food that is properly grated, cut or chopped.

Happy holidays!

Daniel Garas is a Personal Injury Lawyer at Thomson Rogers LLP. You can reach him at 416-868-3160 or by email.