In this feature, babyworld looks at choking risks for children – not in a bid to cause panic, but to make parents aware of the very real dangers in the home. More than 2,600 children in the UK are involved in choking accidents every year (56 per cent of whom are under two years). Another 24 children die every year. We look at the main causes of choking and what can be done.

What is your child most likely to choke on? 
A toy? Wrong. Half of all cases of choking in children under four years involve food. Just six per cent of cases were due to toys. It’s far more likely that your child would choke on a sweet (32 per cent of food cases) or a fishbone (20 per cent) if your child is, like most babyworld readers’ children, aged under three years.

Top ten causes of choking each year involving food

*Information drawn from the Department of Trade and Industry’s report on choking risks to children