Safety & First Aid Balloon Safety Warnings for Children By Vincent Iannelli, MD facebook Vincent Iannelli, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Iannelli has cared for children for more than 20 years. Learn about our editorial process Vincent Iannelli, MD Medically reviewed by a board-certified physician Updated on April 11, 2021 Print left of centre photography / Getty Images When parents think about toy safety and young children, they mostly think about choking hazards from balls, marbles, and small toy parts. Balloons Are Hazards Too Surprisingly, latex balloons cause more choking deaths than balls, marbles, or toy parts. In addition to choking or aspirating on broken balloon pieces, some children actually suck in uninflated balloons while trying to blow them up. Part of the reason that so many children choke on balloons may be that parents underestimate the choking hazard from latex balloons, especially to older children. Of course, that doesn't mean that kids can't play with balloons anymore. Just be safe and recognize that they can be a hidden danger if your kids aren't supervised. Balloon Warnings Although most toys with small parts are labeled as being a choking hazard to children under age 3 if they have small parts, it is important to remember the warning label that should be present on balloon packages: Choking Hazard: Children under 8 yrs can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons. Adult supervision required. Keep uninflated balloons from children. Discard broken balloons at once. To be safe, parents should: Supervise children under age 8 years if they play with uninflated balloons Collect and discard all pieces of a broken balloon as soon as it breaks You can also simply get Mylar balloons for your kids next party. These aren't considered to be as big a choking hazard, especially since they don't break into smaller pieces as easy as latex balloons. Keep Your Kids Safe From Hidden Dangers in Their Lives Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get expert tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Choking Hazard Safety. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Child Safety Protection Act Fact Sheet. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC Safety Alert: CPSC Warns Consumers of Suffocation Danger Associated with Children's Balloons.