4. How to Prevent These Emergencies
Prevention is the most powerful tool against suffocation and choking. Simple awareness and proactive habits in your home and daily life can eliminate many of the most common risks.
4.1. Preventing Choking
- Cut food into small, manageable pieces, especially for children and the elderly. High-risk foods include grapes, nuts, and sausages.
- Chew food slowly and thoroughly before swallowing.
- Avoid talking, laughing, or walking around while eating.
- Keep small objects like buttons, batteries, coins, and small toy parts away from infants and young children.
- Pay close attention to the age-recommendation labels on toys to ensure they are appropriate for your child.
4.2. Water Safety and Drowning Prevention
- Learn to swim, and ensure your children learn as well.
- Never swim alone. Always swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards.
- Actively and continuously supervise children when they are in or near any body of water, including pools, bathtubs, lakes, and oceans.
- Use properly fitted life jackets when boating or participating in water sports.
- Avoid consuming alcohol and drugs before or during swimming, boating, or supervising children near water.
4.3. Preventing Mechanical and Chemical Suffocation
- Ensure a safe sleeping environment for infants. Cribs should be free of soft pillows, heavy blankets, and bumper pads to prevent accidental suffocation.
- Secure long cords from window blinds and electronics, keeping them well out of the reach of children.
- Ensure there is proper ventilation in areas where you are using chemicals or in spaces with potential for gas leaks, such as garages or workshops.
- Install and regularly maintain carbon monoxide detectors in your home.