Prevention of Child Suffocation
Parenting and Child Development
Causes and Prevention
CausesChild deaths due to suffocation result when the child is in a place or position where he or she is unable to breathe. Most suffocations are caused by things like...Overlay: When a person who is sleeping with a child , rolls over and unintentionally smother the child.Positional Asphyxia: A child's face becomes trapped in a soft bedding or wedged in a small space such as in between a mattress and a wall or between couch cushions.Covering Face or Chest: an object covers a childs face or compresses the chest, such as plastic bags , heavy blankets, or furniture. Confinement: A child is trapped in an airtight place such as an unused refridgerator or toy chest.Strangulation: A rope, cords, hands or other objects that could strangle a child. The majority of these suffocations happenĀ to infants while they are in unsafe sleeping enviroments. This is the fourth leading cause of accidental death for children.PreventionCreate a safe sleeping enviroment. Place infants on thier backs on a firm surface everytime they are laid down for sleep. Do not put objects in the bed with childrenStay safe during meal and play time. Cut or break age- appropriate food into small bite size peices, and ALWAYS supervise your children while they are eating, and also encourage them to chew their food completely before swallowing. Learn basic first aid and also CPR. With learning these skills you could possibly save your childs life if they were in need of medical attention.