Choking occurs when food or other small objects become lodged in a child’s throat or airway (trachea), preventing oxygen from getting to the lungs and brain. Children under the age of 5 years are at the greatest risk of choking. About two-thirds of all choking victims are children under the age of 1, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Food is among the objects most likely to cause choking in a child. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 60 percent of choking-related emergency room visits by children age 14 and younger in 2001, the last year for which the CDC released data, involved food. Nonfood items such as latex balloons, coins and toys with small parts also can present choking hazards to children.

Children who begin to choke typically cannot breathe, talk or make noise. As choking persists, a child’s face may become bright red before eventually turning blue. If the child’s airway is not cleared, loss of consciousness will follow.

Choking should always be viewed as a medical emergency. When a child’s airway becomes blocked, permanent damage and even death from asphyxiation can result. Brain damage can begin just four minutes after the organ has been deprived of oxygen.

Children who cough forcefully or who have a strong cry should be allowed to try to expel the object on their own. However, basic first-aid steps should be applied if the child does not display signs of expelling the object. Treatment options to stop choking differ depending on the age of the child and include sharp blows to the back, the Heimlich maneuver and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Parents and caregivers are urged to learn basic life support techniques from a trained professional, as they may injure a patient if not performed correctly.

The best way to prevent choking is to try to reduce a child’s exposure to items that may present a choking hazard. In addition, children should be taught to chew food thoroughly before swallowing, and young children should not be allowed to eat foods that present a potential choking hazard.