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Show Keep Objects Out Of Reach of Youngsters Almost anything that gets into the hands of a toddler eventually winds up in his or her mouth From there, it can slip down into the lungs and cause trouble, warns Franklin K Brough, Ph -D., executive director, Utah Lung Association The Christmas Seal People report that approximately 1,4"X foreign bodies are surgically removed from the lungs of children each year in the United States. This is not a large number. But it ' is significant since all such incidents are preventable "Before we swallow, we automatically take in I little air and hold our breath," explained Dr. Brough "This doses a valve in our throat called the glottis This blocks the entrance to the windpipe and lungs But anything small can accidentally slide down the windpipe without being swallowed and end up in the lungs 'Aspiration of foreign bodies,' the medical term for this mixup, is the single most common cause of accidental death in the home among children under six." Safety pins are the items most frequently aspired by infants. Coins and nuts are more common in the two-to four-year-old group Government standards specify minimum toy sixes for children under the age of three Toys must be more than an inch wide and more than two inches long, too big to slip down little windpipes Small objects-including peas, beans, peanuts, corn, candy and buttons that become lodged in the lungs can permanently destroy a breathing passage and sometimes cause a severe pneumonia that may predispose the youngster to chronic lun disease Parents should take special pains to keep small objects well out of reach of infants and toddlers And they should caution youngsters not to talk and eat at the same time. Children should also chew slowly and thoroughly They should not run with food in their mouths To find out more about ways to prevent lung disease in children and people of all ages, contact your Utah Lung Association the Christmas Seal People They care about every breath you take. And to support the fight against lung disease, answer your Christmas Seal letter with a generous gift. |