include "top.inc" ?>
include "start-head.inc" ?>
Balloons can kill your child
include "end-head.inc" ?>
I know what you are thinking. You are thinking, "Balloons???" They seem completely harmless. However, according to this article:
Balloons cause more choking deaths in children than any other nonfood product... Balloons, long exempted from regulation by the CPSC, kill more children than any other toy except for bicycles and other riding toys.
This is why you read CarefulParents.com -- something like this is completely unexpected.
Basically, the problem is that kids get balloons or pieces of broken balloons in/near their mouths. Then they inhale, and the balloon gets sucked into the airway. It is nearly impossible to get the balloon back out and the child suffocates. Think about this as a parent. Even if you are standing right there when it happens, it may be impossible to get the balloon out of your child's airway because it is not heavy enough to fall out on its own.
include "start-small-head.inc" ?>
Steps you can take
include "end-small-head.inc" ?>
- Children and balloons do not mix. Keep balloons out of your house.
- If you must have balloons, use big mylar ones rather than little rubber ones. Children cannot accidentally inhale a big piece of mylar, and when mylar balloons pop they generally do not create small fragments.
- Clean up any balloon fragments immediately if a balloon pops.
- Keep in mind that any small piece of plastic wrap or cellophane poses the same threat.
include "start-small-head.inc" ?>
Additional Resources
include "end-small-head.inc" ?>
include "bottom.inc" ?>