3-Year Old Chokes to Death on Popcorn

[Ksyrup]

OK, tragic story aside, what I really want to know is...what kind of parent takes a 3-year old to see Alien vs. Predator?! I remember when my daughter was 2.5 and we were watching Ghostbusters II one afternoon, and she started crying during the scene when the ghost on a bike kidnaps the baby from the ledge of the building. That shocked the hell out of my wife and me. I can't imagine taking a kid that young to see a movie like this.

VALLEY STREAM, New York (AP) -- A 3-year-old boy choked to death while eating popcorn at a movie theater.

Deontea Riley, of New York City, was at the Sunrise Multiplex Cinemas in Long Island's Valley Stream watching "Alien vs. Predator" with his parents and older brother when he began to choke shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday, Nassau County police said.

The family all had been eating from a small tub of popcorn when Elaine McIntosh, the boy's mother, saw that her youngest son was choking.

His parents rushed him out of the theater where they performed the Heimlich maneuver without success.

"I was trying everything," his father, Eddie Riley, told the Daily News in Tuesday's editions. "I was trying to put my finger down his throat. I didn't feel anything."

Police arrived shortly afterward and tried to clear the boy's mouth and perform CPR, but he was pronounced dead at Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre.

His body was taken to the Nassau University Medical Center morgue pending a medical examiner's report.

[Noop]

This is sad. What is even more sad is the parents are going to sue someone because their child passed away when in truth they shouldn't haven't taken the kid to the movie or given the kid popcorn.

[sachmo71]

Ugh. Horrible.


Kids are different. My nephew had nightmares after watching Toy Story 2. What this child's parents choose (er...chose) to expose him to is their business.

[Ksyrup]

Ugh. Horrible.


Kids are different. My nephew had nightmares after watching Toy Story 2. What this child's parents choose (er...chose) to expose him to is their business.
I don't know. I haven't seen this movie, so I don't know what kind of violence there is, but if there is death in it - and I'm assuming there is - do you really think that's appropriate for any kid that age to see, regardless of whether it actually scares a particular kid or not?

[sachmo71]

I don't know. I haven't seen this movie, so I don't know what kind of violence there is, but if there is death in it - and I'm assuming there is - do you really think that's appropriate for any kid that age to see, regardless of whether it actually scares a particular kid or not?


I would never take my children to see this movie, but it's really not my business what others expose their children too. Maybe they had long discussions about make-believe and this three year old was wise beyond his year and could easily make the distinction.

He just shouldn't have eaten the popcorn. :(

[Draft Dodger]

Ksyrup - that's exactly the thought I had when I saw that.

[rkmsuf]

I don't know. I haven't seen this movie, so I don't know what kind of violence there is, but if there is death in it - and I'm assuming there is - do you really think that's appropriate for any kid that age to see, regardless of whether it actually scares a particular kid or not?

Saw the same thing at the movies last weekend. Real young kids going into Alien v Predator.

Heck, I guess if you have no idea who Alien and Predator are and haven't seen the other movies this is a good way to get them both in one shot.

It looks like a terrible movie. The makers knew it would get panned so they refused to send advance copies to reviewers and entertainment outlets. The reviews had to acutually go opening night to the movies to see it.

[Ksyrup]

Nothing surprises me anymore. I still remember going to see South Park and there were 5-8 year olds there with their parents. And it wasn't like the parents were there because they were huge SP fans - they brought the kids solely because the kids wanted to go. Unbelievable.

[albionmoonlight]

What is even more sad is the parents are going to sue someone because their child passed away when in truth they shouldn't haven't taken the kid to the movie or given the kid popcorn.
On what could they possibly base a suit?

[Noop]

On what could they possibly base a suit?
If you can sue McDonalds for being fat then you can sue for anything.

[rkmsuf]

punitive damages!

[KevinNU7]

On what could they possibly base a suit? No warning lable on the bag saying that children under 5 should eat it.

[rkmsuf]

No warning lable on the bag saying that children under 5 should eat it.

"Attention. If you are under the age of 5, please eat this product."

[Bee]

"Attention. If you are under the age of 5, please eat this product."

Isn't that similar to what the tobacco companies were doing? :D

[Huckleberry]

I don't know about most kids, but my 3 year old can handle popcorn quite easily. Seems like the problem may have been that the parents didn't notice their kid was choking quickly enough.

My 3 year old daughter has been to two movies in her life. One was Monsters, Inc. when she was but an infant. We had to take her out of the theater because she was too happy during the movie and wouldn't stop screaming in delight when she saw Mike Wazowski. The other was the Clifford movie from this spring. I could not believe how well-behaved that entire theater was. The 2-to-8 year olds had better movie manners than your average adult these days.

Anyway, there were plenty of kids eating popcorn in the theater. As with anything about that size, you just need to pay attention to your kid.

[Ksyrup]

Generally, I don't see any parental neglect about the popcorn...although I will say that until our daughter was about 4, my wife would always insist on breaking the kernels into smaller pieces, and pretty much frowned upon giving her popcorn if we could help it. That's why she's the stay-at-home mom and I'm the working dad, I guess.

Most likely, the noise/action from the movie delayed them from noticing that the kid was choking.

[rkmsuf]

Generally, I don't see any parental neglect about the popcorn...although I will say that until our daughter was about 4, my wife would always insist on breaking the kernels into smaller pieces, and pretty much frowned upon giving her popcorn if we could help it. That's why she's the stay-at-home mom and I'm the working dad, I guess.

Most likely, the noise/action from the movie delayed them from noticing that the kid was choking.

I can see that. It was probably during the part when the family was captivated by an Alien devouring one of the human's head and then Predator cutting another guy in half. Very distracting but a fun time for all.

[albionmoonlight]

If you can sue McDonalds for being fat then you can sue for anything.


Ahhh . . . I see your point. One can indeed bring a suit for anything (and, sadly, there will always be a lawyer (I use the term loosely)willing to take the case).. Having the suit go anywhere or be based on anything that could possibly go anywhere is a bit harder.

By the way, do you know how many "I'm fat" suits against fast food have gotten beyond the very preliminary stages? None. Zero. Nada. They are B.S. suits that were rightly thrown out of court.

Why then have we heard so much about them? Why then could you have sworn that these suits had (pardon the pun) some meat to them? Why have these unnewsworthy complaints been pumped up so much in the public consciousness?

Could it be because the fast-food industry (which, as you know, possesses one of the best PR machines on the planet) knows that people see such lawsuits as total B.S. and are using the (imagined and inflated) threat of such lawsuits to push through federal legislation*

http://www.house.gov/judiciary/news031004.htm (http://www.house.gov/judiciary/news031004.htm)

limiting their liability from negligence lawsuits? This legislation, as proposed by the lobbyists, would not just stop the "I'm fat" suits, but also make it impossible for people who actually were injured (i.e. rancid meat, etc.) to recover. The industry would become immune from damages from acting unreasonable. (FWIW, this legislation is still pending and may end up being somewhat limited to its intended purposes).

Just some food (there I go with the puns again) for thought.

*A cynical footnote for those few of you who believe that politicians are still driven by ideological ideals. Republicans (who have big business in their pocket) support this legislation. Democrats (who have trial lawyers in their pockets) oppose this legislation. Republicans, who claim to be the party of states' rights and limited federal powers, see no problem with expanding federal law into the arena of personal injury lawsuits, an area of law very much traditionally in the province of the states. Democrats, who support large federal programs protecting their interests, complain that this legislation is taking too much power away from the states and should not be a federal issue.

[Franklinnoble]

***Note to self... be sure to butter the kid's popcorn next time.***

[Draft Dodger]

never thought about any danger - popcorn is one of his favorites (he's 2 1/2). his mother loves popcorn, and he's inherited that. he DEVOURS the stuff.

[Cuckoo]

My two year old likes popcorn as well, and we haven't ever really worried about it. She chews very well and never chokes on chips or nuts or anything. After this, though, I'll watch a little closer.

[FrogMan]

Cuckoo, I don't think the problem lies in the chewing part of it, but beware of the unpopped ones... They're the one that scare me. There was a similar story in Quebec City about 3 years ago...

And about bringing a kid that age to a movie like that, unthinkable... Heck, I thought that bringing a 4 year old to I, Robot wasn't very appropriate and it's not the most violent movie of all. For the record, that wasn't my kid, some other lady that brought two kids, one was about 7-8, the other was the 4 year old...

FM

[Cuckoo]

Cuckoo, I don't think the problem lies in the chewing part of it, but beware of the unpopped ones... They're the one that scare me. There was a similar story in Quebec City about 3 years ago...

And about bringing a kid that age to a movie like that, unthinkable... Heck, I thought that bringing a 4 year old to I, Robot wasn't very appropriate and it's not the most violent movie of all. For the record, that wasn't my kid, some other lady that brought two kids, one was about 7-8, the other was the 4 year old...

FM

Oh yeah, I don't just give her a bag of popcorn to munch on. I put a few on her tray at snack times so I'm doing the choosing.

[henry296]

Often parents will bring their kids to movies they want to see, because it is cheaper than a babysitter. Not the best reason, but one nonetheless.

[FrogMan]

Oh yeah, I don't just give her a bag of popcorn to munch on. I put a few on her tray at snack times so I'm doing the choosing.
agreed, which may not be what the parents did in the darkness of a movie theater. Letting a kid pick some popcorn from a bag bought at the theater's restaurants is asking for trouble, imo...

FM

[Samdari]

Cuckoo, I don't think the problem lies in the chewing part of it, but beware of the unpopped ones... They're the one that scare me. There was a similar story in Quebec City about 3 years ago...

And about bringing a kid that age to a movie like that, unthinkable... Heck, I thought that bringing a 4 year old to I, Robot wasn't very appropriate and it's not the most violent movie of all. For the record, that wasn't my kid, some other lady that brought two kids, one was about 7-8, the other was the 4 year old...

The all time record for this in my opinion is the 5-6 year old I saw at the south park movie.

[Cuckoo]

My wife and I won't even watch sitcoms much anymore when the kid's in the room after watching a rerun of Friends a couple months back (don't ask), and she was staring right up at the screen when they said "Bitch" very emphatically. Those who have children that are at that repeating phase know why that wasn't a good thing for us. :)

As for scary stuff, I watched horror movies when I was pretty young (maybe 8 or 9), but my parents did a good job of explaining reality versus fiction, and I had a good grasp of it. I did have nightmares, though, but I've always loved horror movies. As a parent now, I'll probably be a little more restrictive with mine, at least my first. We start the Finding Nemo DVD after the opening scene with the shark and the credits for our daughter. :)

[stevew]

Apparently neither Alien nor Predator possess the power that popcorn does.

[mauchow]

Nuts.

[Bee]

We should have a law that forbids anyone under the age of 30 from leaving their house. That would make my life much better and be safer for the young ones. win-win

[JonInMiddleGA]

Eh, my (now 6 y/o) is a popcorn-eating-machine, on occasion will do serious damage to the "date size" bucket, can easily put away more of the stuff than either my wife or me.

As for the movie itself, I don't know whether it would have bothered him at 3'ish -- he's kinda funny about what bothers him & what doesn't. For example, he still doesn't like to see the cartoon "Gargoyles" for any reason, but isn't the least bit disturbed by stuff like "Alien". Go figure.

[CamEdwards]

AM,

you do realize that the bill you linked to is specifically targeting obesity related lawsuits, right? At least that's what the press release says. Do you have a link to a copy of the bill?

[albionmoonlight]

AM,

you do realize that the bill you linked to is specifically targeting obesity related lawsuits, right? At least that's what the press release says. Do you have a link to a copy of the bill?
No, though I imagine that it won't be hard to find. And I am pretty sure that by the time it is passed, it will be much more limited in its scope.

I remember reading--it was in print (some law magazine) and I cannot find a source online--when the idea was first introduced that the language was so sweeping that it would have basically created an industry immune from negligence.

Of course, I suppose that that's what they (the industry lobby) should be doing--propose very broad language and expect the negotiating process to whittle things down until you are left with that about which you really care. It would be silly for them to do otherwise, considering their interests.

Personally, I don't think that we need federal legislation to deal with the situation, but I also think that states need to do more to prevent these B.S. suits from being brought in the first place. (Here's my thought: Make it a lot easier to sanction the attorneys who bring B.S. claims. They cost everyone money and make my profession look bad.).

[Eaglesfan27]

Most kids do not develop the ability to distinguish reality from fantasy until 6 or 7. The idea of taking a 3 or 4 year old to Alien versus Predator borders on child abuse in my mind. I haven't seen the movie, but I assume it is very violent and I've seen teenagers and children who have actually developed PTSD-like symptoms from seeing violent movies at that young age.

[Franklinnoble]

Most kids do not develop the ability to distinguish reality from fantasy until 6 or 7. The idea of taking a 3 or 4 year old to Alien versus Predator borders on child abuse in my mind. I haven't seen the movie, but I assume it is very violent and I've seen teenagers and children who have actually developed PTSD-like symptoms from seeing violent movies at that young age.
So, watching "The Wizard of Oz" with a 3 year old could seriously fuck with his mind? Because I still have an irrational fear of flying monkeys.

[Ksyrup]

Most kids do not develop the ability to distinguish reality from fantasy until 6 or 7. The idea of taking a 3 or 4 year old to Alien versus Predator borders on child abuse in my mind. I haven't seen the movie, but I assume it is very violent and I've seen teenagers and children who have actually developed PTSD-like symptoms from seeing violent movies at that young age.
I'm glad to see my initial reaction wasn't crazy. It just seems absurd to me that anyone would think this is justifiable. And again, seeing my daughter react the way she did to that scene in Ghostbusters II, it was one of those eye-opening experiences for me. It was one of the first times I could see her processing what she saw and trying to come to terms with it in the context of her view of the world at that age. To have her sit through something that graphic - with the loud noises to boot - I couldn't imagine doing that to her.

[Eaglesfan27]

So, watching "The Wizard of Oz" with a 3 year old could seriously fuck with his mind? Because I still have an irrational fear of flying monkeys.

Actually I would argue that "The Wizard of Oz" could be too stimulating for many 3 year olds. Does it have the horrible imagery that Alien vs Predator has? Of course not.

Does it have some imagery that could be scary to children? Absolutely. Is it as likely to damage a child psychologically as Alien versus Predator? My bet would be no.

[Easy Mac]

I worked at a movie theater for 3 summers, and I'd routinely see parents bringing their kids (1-2 year olds) to see R movies. I know that Freddy v. Jason was packed with kids last summer.

[Franklinnoble]

I dunno... I bring my 10 month old to movies all the time, because we can rarely get a sitter. Half the time he sleeps through it... (granted, we're not taking him to AvP or anything like that... but he sat through Spider-Man 2)...

Anyhow, my point is, I doubt Doctor Octopus is really going to screw with his head much... the kid has an innate understanding of what's on TV. He actually (I shit you not) knows enough to pick up the remote, point it at the tv, and change channels. It amuses the hell out of him.

[Easy Mac]

My main beef is that the majority of the kids don't sleep and stay there quietly. The parents don't even bother trying to control the kids and everyone around them suffers. And then if you ask them to try and quiet their kid, they get all pissed off like you're the one disturbing them.

[Glengoyne]

I wouldn't bring my four year old to movies like Spiderman, or "I, Robot", let alone Alien v. Predator. She finds Toy Story 2 disturbing. She cries when the "bad-guy" steals Buddy.

When she was two she watched Monsters inc non-stop along with beauty and the beast. Now she is afraid of scenes in both to the point that she doesn't want to watch the movies. Finding Nemo scared her so much that she campaigns against us buying it when we go to a video store.

[Franklinnoble]

My main beef is that the majority of the kids don't sleep and stay there quietly. The parents don't even bother trying to control the kids and everyone around them suffers. And then if you ask them to try and quiet their kid, they get all pissed off like you're the one disturbing them.
Yeah, that's rude. If mine gets outta hand, I take him out of the theater.

[Huckleberry]

She cries when the "bad-guy" steals Buddy.

Dude, it's Woody. :D

[Glengoyne]

Dude, it's Woody. :D
I didnt' think I had it right. I almost googled Toy Story to doublecheck.

Then I got cocky, and thought it would be funny to just throw it out there.

[Desnudo]

My main beef is that the majority of the kids don't sleep and stay there quietly. The parents don't even bother trying to control the kids and everyone around them suffers. And then if you ask them to try and quiet their kid, they get all pissed off like you're the one disturbing them.

It's perfectly legitimate to ask the theater to give noisy people the boot. Especially after the 80-foot "Turn off Your Cell Phone" message plays.

[GoldenEagle]

Ok, my girlfriend and I aren't planning on having kids for about 5-6 more years, but you guys are all talking about not being able to afford baby sitters... How much do they cost now a days? My girlfriend said when she used to baby sit about 5 years ago she would only get about 5 bucks an hour, if that.

[Ksyrup]

We rarely, if ever, use babysitters, but cost has nothing to do with it. And now with a 3-month old...no. $5 an hour is what ours charged for 2 kids, but only $4 for our one.

[Ksyrup]

I dunno... I bring my 10 month old to movies all the time, because we can rarely get a sitter. Half the time he sleeps through it... (granted, we're not taking him to AvP or anything like that... but he sat through Spider-Man 2)...

Anyhow, my point is, I doubt Doctor Octopus is really going to screw with his head much... the kid has an innate understanding of what's on TV. He actually (I shit you not) knows enough to pick up the remote, point it at the tv, and change channels. It amuses the hell out of him.
For kids that young, I tend to think the noise is more frightening to them than the actual content, so if you can get your 10 month old to sleep through a movie, more power to you. I'm not sure they can grasp what's going on even when awake, but asleep - go for t. From about 1 or 2 through 6, though, I'd say they know enough to know when something is bad, AND they're watching it trying to understand the content.

[jander]

Well my daughter does like popcorn, we don't make it too much...but this all kinda freaks me out, even though we always tore the pieces up very small for her. So, may be even less popcorn now....I know this should not make me stop giving it to her, but really makes you stop and think.

I agree, really I don't think a child that age should be at a movie like this, although I guess parents have all their own rights to choose what a child watches. To each their own I guess.

[EagleFan]

Sorry, but this stuck out to me:

"I was trying to put my finger down his throat. I didn't feel anything."


You DON'T stick your fingers down the throat of someone who is choking!!!! Sweep the mouth and then go to Heimlich or you can do more damage by lodging the obstruction even more.


I understand that panick sets in but it's panick in that kind of situation that can make it turn deadly. Like taknig the extra time to take the kid out of the theater before attempting to save him, more very important time wasted.


But I guess someone taking their three year old to that movie doesn't really have that much common sense about them anyway.

[Franklinnoble]

Ok, my girlfriend and I aren't planning on having kids for about 5-6 more years, but you guys are all talking about not being able to afford baby sitters... How much do they cost now a days? My girlfriend said when she used to baby sit about 5 years ago she would only get about 5 bucks an hour, if that.
It's not so much the money, it's the availability of someone you can trust with your offspring.

We live in a pretty rural area, so our options are limited - and most times, we don't have things planned very far in advance. So, if the mother-in-law isn't available, it's not likely that we'll have any choice except to take the bambino along.

[CraigSca]

It's not so much the money, it's the availability of someone you can trust with your offspring.

We live in a pretty rural area, so our options are limited - and most times, we don't have things planned very far in advance. So, if the mother-in-law isn't available, it's not likely that we'll have any choice except to take the bambino along.

Same here. My wife doesn't trust anyone but her parents or mine. I know eventually we'll get babysitters (when the kids are older), but in the meantime she and I go out about once every 6 months.

[sachmo71]

Sorry, but this stuck out to me:

"I was trying to put my finger down his throat. I didn't feel anything."


You DON'T stick your fingers down the throat of someone who is choking!!!! Sweep the mouth and then go to Heimlich or you can do more damage by lodging the obstruction even more.


I understand that panick sets in but it's panick in that kind of situation that can make it turn deadly. Like taknig the extra time to take the kid out of the theater before attempting to save him, more very important time wasted.


But I guess someone taking their three year old to that movie doesn't really have that much common sense about them anyway.

I'll bet they wish they had taken a child lifesaving course. I'm sure glad my mother-in-law did, or my daughter would not be here today.

If you have the kids, I recommend taking the time to do this. The class lasts about an hour.

[sabotai]

I'll bet they wish they had taken a child lifesaving course. I'm sure glad my mother-in-law did, or my daughter would not be here today.

If you have the kids, I recommend taking the time to do this. The class lasts about an hour.

An entire hour!?!? UGH!!!!