Choking Hazard: Candies That Can Harm Your Child

Young kids seem to have a bit of problem. They want to put just about everything in their mouths. And whether it's sucking on a pacifier or chewing on a jawbreaker, too much time with these 'toys' can cause crooked teeth and even choking.

Let's take a look at the facts.

Pacifiers: It's true that pacifiers can help placate a fussy toddler, especially when teeth are still coming in. But extended use of a pacifier can cause misalignment of the upper and lower jaws. It can actually cause the upper teeth to start slanting outward and the bottom teeth to tilt inward, which can manifest as an anterior open bite in some children and a posterior crossbite in others that tilts inward.

According to the Journal of the American Dental Association, an open bite can often resolve itself as the child stops using a pacifier, but a crossbite will most likely require professional correction.

Candy: Kids certainly love the sweet stuff, but a recent study from the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, states that on average, 12,435 children ages 0 to 14 are treated in emergency departments every year because of choking on a food item. Most of these children are choking on things like hard candy, meat and bone.

Statistics show that more than 90 percent of deaths from foreign objects occur in children younger than 5 years old; Sixty-five percent of them infants. For every choking-related death, there are more than 100 visits to the U.S. emergency department, according to B.E. CPR. And in 2011, an estimated 17,537  children 14 years or younger were treated in the U.S. emergency departments for choking according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Candy was also associated with 19 percent of all chocking-related emergency department visits by children ages 14 years or younger.

Health officials caution against parents using pacificers for children past the age of 12 months. This is the period when teeth alignment can start to shift and cause future problems. As for hard candies, including seeds, nuts and certain fruits that could become lodged in the throat or stuck in a windpipe, experts recommended waiting until four or five when the child is able to more properly chew. 

If you do find that your child may be chocking, click here for guided steps on what to do or who to consult.

More information regarding the study can be found in the journal Pediatrics.