Increase in Choking Incidents Among Infants and Seniors Prompts Consumer Safety Alert

As incidents of choking due to foreign object ingestion among infants and seniors continue to rise, the government has issued a consumer safety alert.

On May 11, the Fair Trade Commission reported that last year, the Korea Consumer Agency's Consumer Hazard Monitoring System (CISS) recorded 809 cases of foreign object ingestion. Over the past five years, the trend has shown fluctuations: 728 cases in 2021, 949 in 2022, 972 in 2023, and a temporary decrease to 655 in 2024, followed by a rise again last year.

Among the foreign object ingestion incidents in the last five years, 67.6% involved children aged seven and under. Specifically, the highest number of incidents occurred with one-year-olds (25.2%), and more than half (56.3%) of the cases involved infants under two years old, who are more likely to put objects in their mouths.

The primary hazardous items ingested by infants included magnets (13.8%, 384 cases), toys (10.0%, 279 cases), and coins (9.6%, 266 cases). Other causes of incidents included marbles, stickers, and batteries. The Fair Trade Commission has urged caution, noting that foreign objects can lead to severe injuries such as intestinal perforation or airway obstruction.

In contrast, seniors aged 65 and older are at greater risk of choking incidents due to diminished physical abilities, such as reduced coughing reflexes associated with aging. Many choking incidents among seniors have occurred while consuming foods like rice cakes, sweet potatoes, and tangerines. According to the Fire Agency, a total of 1,196 patients were transported due to airway obstruction from food consumption over the past five years.

The Fair Trade Commission emphasized that while infant choking incidents often arise from curiosity during play, choking incidents among seniors frequently occur during meals, highlighting the importance of adjusting food sizes.

To prevent choking incidents among infants and seniors, the Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency recommend: keeping small items like magnets and coins out of reach of infants; preparing food for seniors in bite-sized pieces and encouraging slow chewing; and immediately performing emergency measures such as the Heimlich maneuver if choking symptoms occur.