Risk of drowning

Choking in children can occur easily, they can even drown in water a few centimetres deep. Food choking is a common problem among children of all ages. It is one of the leading causes of death in children under 4-5 years of age.

Prevention measures:

• Vacuum your baby's room every day
• Do not keep in your pockets small batteries, beads, coins, small caps of medicines or creams, do not leave the small cap of saline solution vials in your bed/room/pockets
• Be careful with toys, always buy them according to the child's age
• If you are breastfeeding, always check your baby is well. At night, try not to fall asleep with your baby at your breast. If you bottle feed, also always check that he is well.
• When starting diversification, food should be prepared according to the child's age, cooked sufficiently and all paediatrician's instructions should be followed;
• Don't drop beans, peas, coffee, peanuts, nuts, nuts, etc. Vacuum carefully after every activity that involves the slightest risk. Small children always find even the most hidden objects, no matter how tiny;
• The child should not have access to animal feed;
• Take care not to strangle your pacifier, blinds and the like;
• The toddler can drown in quite shallow water, we always keep an eye on him when he is bathing or playing with water, we don't leave his side for a minute. If we forget something, we call another family member to fetch it or we wait to put the child in the safe area and then pick up what we forgot;
• Avoid clothes with small buttons. If they exist, make sure they are well fastened and there's no chance of the baby undoing them;
• Clothes with a zip should be free of the keyhole that can detach and end up in the baby's hand. Most clothes follow these rules, but there are plenty on the market that do not take these aspects into account and it is necessary to be careful.

For the person who is with the baby the most, it is necessary to attend a first aid course. If this did not happen during the prenatal period, before enrolling on a course, find out from your paediatrician what to do in case of drowning. Be informed and know what to do in an emergency. Sometimes it makes the difference between life and death. Time is limited and how to act is decisive.