TOPLINE:

In young children, foreign body aspiration (FBA) has remained a leading emergency. Although caregivers demonstrated overall good knowledge, critical gaps were identified in recognising an effective or ineffective cough and appropriate actions for infants with an ineffective cough. Formal medical education and structured first-aid training emerged as the strongest predictors of higher knowledge scores.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a cross-sectional observational study in Poland between January and March 2025 to assess caregivers' knowledge of FBA and choking first-aid responses in children aged 0-7 years.
• They surveyed 333 caregivers (mean age, 35.6 years; 92.8% women; 79% university educated) using a 23-item questionnaire during paediatric outpatient visits, with nine questions regarding sociodemographic characteristics and 14 questions regarding the knowledge of FBA and first aid for choking.
• Primary endpoints were the FBA knowledge score, first-aid knowledge score, and total knowledge score.

TAKEAWAY:

• Across all respondents, the mean number of correct answers was 11.27 ± 1.9 out of 14, corresponding to an overall mean accuracy of 80.48%.
• Key knowledge gaps were identified, with approximately 40% of caregivers being unable to distinguish an effective from an ineffective cough and nearly 20% being unsure of the correct initial action for an infant with an ineffective cough.
• Caregivers with medical education scored 30% higher in first-aid knowledge and 19% higher overall, and formal first-aid training increased first-aid knowledge scores by 18% and total knowledge scores by 9% (P < .05 for all).
• General education, age, sex, residence, and other demographics showed no significant associations with any knowledge scores after multivariable adjustment.

IN PRACTICE:

"The results highlight a need to systematize pediatric airway safety education across societal levels. Integrating standardized first-aid training into pregnancy programs, parental schools, and early childhood institutions could ensure coverage during key developmental periods," the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Maciej Szczukocki, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, Kielce, Poland. It was published online on December 12, 2025, in BMC Pediatrics.

LIMITATIONS:

No specific limitations were mentioned in the study.

DISCLOSURES:

This study did not receive any external funding. The authors declared having no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.