Young children will swallow almost anything small enough for them to get into their mouths! Small toys, seeds, pieces of wood, pins, nails, coins, fruit stones- any of these may cause trouble. Sometimes the object becomes lodged in the throat, at other times in the windpipe, or perhaps the esophagus. Parents should protect their young children from the danger of strangling, providing only toys that are perfectly safe.

What to do: Hold the victim forward, head down, and slap him vigorously on the upper back between the shoulder blades. Another method is to lay the child across the bed with head and shoulders hanging over the side and slap the upper back. If the victim is a young child, hold him up by the heels and slap his back. Any of these movements may help to dislodge the object. If breathing is difficult or irregular, give artificial respiration as suggested on page 86. Get him to a hospital emergency room as soon as possible.