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It’s exciting when your baby becomes mobile – but also nerve-wracking. They’re suddenly exposed to all new dangers, and unfortunately, many babies are still putting everything in their mouths around this age.
While you likely already know about babyproofing basics like using outlet covers and locking cabinet doors to keep your baby safe, it’s also important to do a sweep for choking hazards around your house.
Anything that your baby could potentially choke on should be kept out of reach so your child couldn’t possibly get to it – but what counts as a choking hazard, exactly?
There’s some great advice on this topic in BabyCenter’s Infant CPR, Choking, and Safety courseOpens a new window, which is led by C. Anthoney Lim, M.D., M.S., a top pediatric ER doctor.
Dr. Lim has seen it all working in the ER, and in the course, he breaks everything down in a clear (and comforting!) way.
One great tip he shares in the class is to use something he calls “the toilet paper roll test” to determine if something is a choking hazard.
As Dr. Lim explains, the Consumer Product Safety Commission uses a test cylinderOpens a new window that’s 2.2 inches long by 1.25 inches wide to estimate the size of a young child’s throat when it’s fully expanded. If a toy can fit through the test cylinder, it’s considered a choking hazard and isn’t safe for children under 3 years old, who have the highest risk of getting a small object lodged in their throats.
To approximate this device, you can use the tube inside a toilet paper roll, which is about the same size.
If an object or toy fits through the toilet paper roll, it’s a choking hazard and should be kept somewhere where you child can’t access it. If an object is too large to fit through, then it’s considered safe for children under 3.
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Dr. Lim also cautions in the courseOpens a new window that some toys that don’t fit through the toilet paper roll could become choking hazards if they break, forming smaller parts – so it’s important to inspect your toys regularly to ensure this doesn’t happen.
This is just a small preview of the great advice that Dr. Lim shares in BabyCenter’s Infant CPR, Choking, and Safety courseOpens a new window. He also has lots of suggestions for how to prevent choking at mealtimes. And in case you find yourself in a worst-case scenario, he walks through the steps you should follow to administer choking and CPR rescue maneuvers for babies and children.
At just $45, it’s a small price to pay for the peace of mind that you’re prepared to keep your baby safe.