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Suffocating and Smothering

Suffocation and smothering are two ways of preventing the intake of air into the lungs via the mouth. Both of these methods have been used throughout the ages as a means of committing murder and in some cases the process was applied because many thought that it could not be detected by the authorities...

Likewise suffocation and smothering can also be applied to young children who perhaps are left alone with small toys or small items that can fit into their mouths. There have been numerous accidental deaths as a result of children putting things into their mouths and swallowing them, which in turn block the airways. This is why it is imperative that small children are

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 Should We Talk to Parents About Suffocation Instead of SIDS?

Most of our discussions about safe sleep mention SIDS risk reduction. But it has become increasingly clear in recent years that accidental deaths from suffocation or positional asphyxia are also important. Unfortunately, the last US case-control study on sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID) ended in 1996.

 What to do in a crowd crush

Experts say that when a group is packed so close together that no one can move, their airways can become constricted. Victims can suffocate even while standing.

Articles of Interest

Balloons Are the Leading Cause of Suffocation Death for Children

There are few experiences more frightening than seeing your child choking and gasping for air. If you have children you know they are fascinated by all sorts of objects and everything goes straight to their mouth. Choking occurs when suddenly, an object is swallowed, goes down the wrong way, and lodges in the windpipe.

Child abuse by suffocation: A cause of apparent life-threatening events

Recurrent intentional suffocation of a child by a caregiver – termed suffocatory abuse – is a particularly deadly form of maltreatment. The present article summarizes the importance of considering suffocatory abuse as a differential diagnostic possibility, especially in infants with apparent life-threatening events (ALTEs) or apparent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

How and why do crowd surges turn deadly?

While movies that show crowds desperately try to flee suggest getting trampled might be the cause of most of the deaths, the reality is most people who die in a crowd surge are suffocated. What can’t be seen are forces so strong that they can bend steel. That means something as simple as drawing breath becomes impossible. People die standing up and those who fall die because the bodies on top of them exert such pressure that breathing becomes impossible.

Mechanical Suffocation is the No. 1 Cause of Infant Death

Mechanical suffocation constituted the majority (nearly 85%) of all injury-related mortality cases for infants. Infants who die from mechanical suffocation lose the ability to breathe due to strangulation, or smothering by bed clothes, plastic bags or similar materials.

Most cot deaths due to accidental suffocation, says US study

The findings support UK government advice that babies should be placed on their backs in a cot and not in an adult bed or on a sofa. "This study suggests that asphyxia plays a greater role in many sudden infant deaths than has been historically recognised," said Melissa Pasquale-Styles at the Wayne County medical examiner's office in Detroit, Michigan.

Pompeiians Flash-Heated to Death—"No Time to Suffocate"

The famous lifelike poses of many victims at Pompeii—seated with face in hands, crawling, kneeling on a mother's lap—are helping to lead scientists toward a new interpretation of how these ancient Romans died in the A.D. 79 eruptions of Italy's Mount Vesuvius. Until now it's been widely assumed that most of the victims were asphyxiated by volcanic ash and gas. But a recent study says most died instantly of extreme heat, with many casualties shocked into a sort of instant rigor mortis.

Preventing choking and suffocation in children

Choking, suffocation and strangulation cause serious unintentional injuries in children and are leading causes of unintentional death in infants and toddlers. Nearly all choking, suffocation and strangulation deaths and injuries are preventable.

Suffocation vs Asphyxia: Unraveling Commonly Confused Terms

Ultimately, the choice between suffocation and asphyxia depends on the specific context in which they are used. While both terms refer to a lack of oxygen, the nuances of their definitions can have important implications in medical, legal, and other settings.

What to Do if You’re Trapped in a Surging Crowd

Most deaths in a crowd crush are caused by asphyxiation resulting from the pressure on the lungs rather than trampling.

Why Crowd Crushes Like South Korea’s Halloween Surge Are So Deadly

If large volumes of people clump together with a high level of personal contact, the density can often exceed the safety limit and this can result in people struggling to breathe even before any incidents occur. When people try to escape, any small movement is amplified by the crowd and it leads to an amplified wave, or domino effect, where attendees start to push against each other.

Why Suffocating Is Scary

Breathe too much carbon dioxide (CO2), and you'll suffocate. That's why people begin to panic if they breathe air enriched with the gas. One reason this happens, according to a new study in mice, is because breathing CO2 triggers chemical sensors in a crucial part of the brain's fear circuitry. The findings could point the way to new treatments for anxiety disorders.