Infants and Magnets, Seniors and Rice Cakes: Fair Trade Commission Issues Swallowing and Choking Accident Advisory

67.6% of Foreign Object Ingestion Accidents in the Past Five Years Involved Young Children

Elderly Account for Overwhelming Majority of Choking Deaths

The Korea Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency issued a consumer safety advisory on May 12, citing the frequent occurrence of swallowing and choking accidents among infants and the elderly. It was pointed out that tailored precautions are necessary, as swallowing foreign objects out of curiosity is most common among infants, while food obstruction accidents due to physical decline are prevalent among elderly individuals.

A poster explaining prevention measures related to swallowing and choking accidents in infants and the elderly. Fair Trade Commission.

According to the Consumer Injury Surveillance System (CISS), 67.6% of the 4,113 reported cases of foreign object ingestion over the past five years involved children aged seven and under. More than half of these cases among infants and toddlers occurred in those aged two and under, who have a strong tendency to put objects in their mouths. The primary hazardous items were magnets, toy parts, and coins, in that order. Magnets are especially dangerous, as swallowing two or more can cause them to attract each other through intestinal walls, potentially leading to perforation.

In contrast, among the elderly, choking accidents caused by food are far more fatal than those caused by foreign objects. According to the National Fire Agency, over the past five years, 91% of deaths from food-related choking occurred in people aged 65 and older. Most cases involved sticky foods such as rice cakes or sweet potatoes blocking the airway, often due to poor dental health or weakened swallowing muscles.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission recommended that caregivers of infants keep small objects such as magnets and batteries stored separately, and advised the elderly to have their food cut into bite-sized pieces and to moisten their throats with water before meals as part of improved eating habits. The Commission emphasized that “careful observation by caregivers is essential to ensure that food is thoroughly chewed and swallowed and that no dangerous objects are present around children.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.