Not only is Halloween a time for scary costumes; scary situations such as choking and suffocation can also occur. This extended period of oxygen loss can cause serious problems to a child's developing brain.
Are you prepared to care for your child or loved one if they are choking and no longer able to breathe? At St. John Ambulance, we aim to prepare you for the unexpected.
Prevention of such incidents is always the most important step:
Always supervise young children who may not understand the risks of choking or other dangers of getting candy from strangers.
If children are going out alone, be sure to remind them how to protect against choking. Remind children not to run with candy in their mouth and that a parent must see their candy BEFORE eating.
Teach your children what they can do if they know that someone is choking. They need to know the choking signs, and that they need to call for help immediately.
Always have a first aid kit on hand so that you have all the proper tools.
Know the signs of choking so that you are prepared to act the moment an incident occurs to decrease the amount of time the brain is without oxygen.
Grabbing their throat
Child is not able to speak
Signs of distress - eyes show fear
Weak or no coughing
High-pitched noise or no noise when trying to breathe
Grey face and blue lips and ears
For more information on how to protect yourself and your family when an emergency occurs, register for a St. John Ambulance First Aid Course by visiting www.sja.ca. Knowing what to do in an emergency can make all the difference. As a volunteer based non-profit charity, St. John Ambulance is dedicated to improving individual's health, safety and quality of life.
- St. John Ambulance Saskatchewan
