Did You Know?!
A 2013 report stated that, from 2001 to 2009, an average of 12,435 children (14 years old or younger) per year were treated in US Emergency Rooms because of food-related choking.[Ref:1]
Popped Balloons
Foreign Body
A happy celebration can suddenly turn tragic, if a popped balloon blocks the larynx. With each attempt to breath in fresh air, the balloon may be pulled deeper into the airway. A piece of a plastic bag or plastic wrap can be just as dangerous. If gentle back blows and the classic Heimlich maneuver can not unblock the airway, then a “finger sweep” might.
Between 1982 and 1995 at least six children two to nine years of age died due to balloon aspiration in Canada.[Ref:42]
Hearing a balloon “pop” should prompt someone to find and discard all the pieces right away.
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