News

Hot Dogs As Choking Hazards: Its Not a Joke

Posted on Feb 25, 2010

It's a well-known fact and common household hazard that is overlooked far too often. Hot dogs are a easy fix for kids, but do you remind your child to be careful and to chew completely before swallowing? Every year, The American Hot Dog and Sausage Council reports that Americans will consume 20 billion hot dogs. But this year, a lot of Americans did not want to take the American Academy of Pediatrics seriously when they took it upon the organization to recommend to hot dog producers a warning label.

A warning label on hot dogs would serve as a reminder to parents before serving. They could talk to their children about how to chew fully. Explain why one cannot swallow food and breath at the same time. And even remind their children that the slippery nature of this lunchmeat could quickly slide into and lodge itself in the esophagus.

Nancy Shute, a U.S. News Contributor, has also taken this proposition seriously and considers it an important preventive measure. Shute believes that it is more likely than not that the majority of parents have experienced that moment of terror when they watch their child turn a little blue and signal that something has gone down the "wrong pipe."

Present statistics on causes to child injury and death suggest that choking is actually a major factor influencing children. Shockingly, about 17,000 children will be rushed to the emergency room every year for choking accidents. Of those 17,000 accidents, approximately sixty-percent of choking was actually attributed to food-related causes.

What's worse, as many as seventy-seven and as little as sixty-six children, all under the age of ten, will die this year due to choking accidents. It is not uncommon to hear of hot dogs being associated with those choking accidents, and unfortunately, it makes sense. The round shape and slick texture of the hot dog make it dangerously easy for it to become stuck in the back of a throat.

At Roswold Law Group, we help the victims of child injury and child abuse and we know the enormous difficulties presented by this situation. We want to see children get back on their feet after a child injury situation and get the justice and compensation they deserve. Contact our experienced Kansas City-based lawyers who are dedicated to fighting for the rights of children. We pride ourselves on a proven track record of results in child injury cases. At Roswold Law Group, childre come FIRST.