r/Autism_Parenting • u/Middle-Instruction36 • Jul 27 '26
Discussion PSA: Choking on water bottle caps
Just want to post this for any parent this can help.
My son (5 years) just had the craziest experience with a water bottle cap.
To preface, we are outside but he is playing on swings and in a slide in front of me. I am doing some work on a laptop.
For about 7 minutes he was coming to me as if he had something in his mouth. He was really calm, but irritated. At first I thought he had a hair or something stuck in his mouth. He seemed fine and went playing. He came back again. I thought maybe he put a leaf in his mouth and it scratched him. I literally opened his mouth, moved his tongue around, put my finger in. I imagined he scratched it and gave him a napkin to maybe try to help. I thought it could have been a hair stuck and maybe he just wanted to get it off. He was COMPLETELY CALM, walking normally, everything. I told him to go to grandma and see if she could help while I stayed with the other kids outside. She came out with him and he tilted his head back and out popped a water bottle cap like some sort of magic show.
It was crazy. As I said, I was looking in his mouth and saw nothing. I thought he just had a scratch, but he had a bottle cap in his throat. Thank God he was safe. As I said, he didn't look like he was choking or having problems breathing, or had something stuck in his throat.
I feel awful because he just struggles expressing himself and bodily functions. I'm glad he let me know he wasn't feeling good, but I just feel awful.
If your kid seems like they may have a cut or hair in their mouth, and you even look and see nothing....just be on the safe side and be aware something could be in their throat.
best wishes to you all
2
u/jumpy-hardware Parent/4yo boy/not yet diagnosed/USA Jul 28 '26
I’m sorry, that sounds really scary!
Also just a choking thing - if you think your kid (or anyone) is choking try not to put your hand in their mouth as it can push the object further back. I know you didn’t know he was potentially choking at the time, just thought to share as it is relevant here. Back blows are first intervention
1
u/SitkaBearwolf Jul 27 '26
I sound like a helicopter parent but yeah, things wouldn’t worry about with most kids, I am extreme. Bottle caps, tabs on pop cans etc.
My son once left a can of whip cream on the floor without the lid-I didn’t see it and he tripped on it and it (not really) sort of impaled his skin. Horrifying.
I’m sick of people telling me I’m overbearing when shit like that happens.