Let's prevent our children choking

THE EDITOR: We must always be alert when a child is under our care and protection. So, let us look to prevent children from choking.

* Keep marbles, coins, beads, small toys out of the reach of children four years and under.

* Prevent children from walking, running, playing when they have food or toys in their mouth.

* Never feed children younger than four years hot dogs, nuts, chunks of meat, cheese, grapes, raw carrots. These can easily be lodged in the throat.

* Supervise mealtimes with young children.

* Prevent older individuals from giving dangerous food or toys to a young child.

* Be able to perform the first-aid technique for choking, the Heimlich manoeuvre.

Prevention is better than cure. It takes a village to raise a child.

AV RAMPERSAD

Princes Town