X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Pediatrician Mum's Toilet Paper Test To See If Toys Are A Choking Hazard

3 min read

What’s the choking hazard size?

When it comes to picking toys for your baby or toddler, it can be hard to know what’s safe and what isn’t. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, accidental threats to breathing, such as suffocation or choking, makeup 11 percent of deaths under the age of eight, so it’s important to consider choking hazards around the home and that includes the toys you buy for your child.

A paediatrician and mother, Dr. Orajiaka, shared on her TikTok account a simple test all parents should do before they hand their child anything to play with.

Choking Hazard Size: Measuring Using The Toilet Roll Test

Pediatrician Mums Toilet Paper Test To See If Toys Are A Choking Hazard

Safety first. | Image source: TikTok / @dr_norajiaka

Dr. Orajiaka recommends the toilet roll test for any item you are giving to a child under the age of three, as this is the age most likely to mouth toys and be at risk of choking.

The doctor demonstrates by holding larger toys at the top of the toilet toll and showing that those that don’t fit down, are also unlikely to get stuck in your child’s windpipe and restrict their breathing. Smaller items like toy bricks drown through the tube easily and mean they are unsuitable for younger children.

This method not only works for toys, but for food too, and parents should avoid giving babies things like grapes and cherries without chopping them safely into quarters that won’t block their airways.

Stay alert

choking hazard size

Nikki from Tiny Hearts Education shows various items are of choking hazard size. | Image source: Instagram / @tinyheartseducation

If you don’t have a toilet roll handy, Tiny Hearts in Australia did a similar test by making a circle with your thumb and index finger and seeing what can fit through, but they hasten to add that this is just a guide and parents should be supervising babies and toddlers during play.

“It is designed to show you how easily an object should get stuck in an airway and block it,” Tiny Hearts founder Nikki said in the video she shared on the subject.

“Take the grape, for example, if not in quarters the full grape could completely block the airway. It helps create awareness of certain objects that match this hole’s size and may be a choking hazard.”

“It helps you to see that there are A LOT of things that can fit, which means there are a lot of potential hazards around.

“This will help you when making buying decisions for toys and even with preparing food for your bub.”

Top fruits/vegetables which could be of choking hazards size for 6-12-month-olds

  • Cooked or raw whole corn kernels
  • Uncut cherries / berries
  • Whole pieces of canned fruit
  • Uncut melon balls
  • Uncooked dry fruit such as raisins

This article was first published in KidSpot and republished on theAsianparent with permission.

ALSO READ:

Some of Your Favourite First ‘Finger Foods’ for Babies May Be Choking Hazards

The Way You Cut a Grape Could Save Your Child’s Life

What to Do if Your Child Swallows a Button Battery?

Pediatrician Mums Toilet Paper Test To See If Toys Are A Choking Hazard

Partner Stories
Facing Parenting Challenges? Help is at Hand. Just Reach Out.
Facing Parenting Challenges? Help is at Hand. Just Reach Out.
Parenting Lesson from a New Mum - Don’t Try to Do it All on Your Own!
Parenting Lesson from a New Mum - Don’t Try to Do it All on Your Own!
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!
Bathroom Cleaning 101: A Complete Clean in Just 5 Minute Featuring Tips from Zoe Raymond
Bathroom Cleaning 101: A Complete Clean in Just 5 Minute Featuring Tips from Zoe Raymond

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

kidspot

  • Home
  • /
  • Child Safety
  • /
  • Pediatrician Mum's Toilet Paper Test To See If Toys Are A Choking Hazard
Share:
  • Bouncy Ball Choking Hazard: 3-Year-Old Dies Swallowing A Bouncy Ball

    Bouncy Ball Choking Hazard: 3-Year-Old Dies Swallowing A Bouncy Ball

  • What to do when your child is choking

    What to do when your child is choking

  • Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

    Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

  • Bouncy Ball Choking Hazard: 3-Year-Old Dies Swallowing A Bouncy Ball

    Bouncy Ball Choking Hazard: 3-Year-Old Dies Swallowing A Bouncy Ball

  • What to do when your child is choking

    What to do when your child is choking

  • Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

    Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates on baby care and health.