Your situation is a very common one. Older children typically have numerous toys with small parts that can be choking hazards for infants and toddlers. Keeping the two apart is a significant challenge. We have found that the best approach relies upon both a safety gate at the older child’s room and a lot of diligence on behalf of the parents.
Presuming your older child has the luxury of having her own room, a safety gate at the entrance will enable your older child to still enjoy playing with her toys without endangering your younger child. It is important to get a gate that will be easy for your older child to operate. Beldray and LA Baby make good doorway gates that most four year olds can open and can be slam shut. A gate that is too difficult for your older child to operate is a gate that will be left open.
If your children are sharing the same room, obviously your challenge is much greater. You must then ensure that your older child’s toys and games do not have small components and are not readily breakable into smaller chokable size pieces.
In 2003, 10 children died in the U.S. as a result of choking on a toy. Most choked on balls and balloons while others included a game piece and a toy bead.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission uses a cylinder 1.25 inches in diameter, 2.25 inches long on one side and 1 inch long on the other. Any item fitting in this tester is considered a choking hazard and should be kept away from children under the age of three. Balls because of their shape are particularly hazardous and must be greater than 1.75 inches in diameter to not be considered a choking hazard.
The inner cardboard core of a roll of toilet paper serves as a practical substitute for a choking hazard tester. Anything fitting inside should be kept away from children under three.
In addition to toys, small children frequent choke on coins, batteries, buttons, bottle caps and an assortment of common household items. Diligence on behalf of the entire family is required to keep small items out of a little one’s reach.