Changing Setsubun Bean Maki Do not eat beans under 5 years old January 28, 19:19
Usually, February 3rd is "Setsubun", but due to the calendar, February 2nd is "Setsubun" for the first time in 124 years.
Even if the date is one day earlier, "Setsubun" is the bean-sowing of "Oni is outside, Fuku is inside".
Sprinkle beans, chase the demons, and then eat beans for the number of years.
The scenery of Setsubun has changed recently.
(Science and Culture Department Reporter Akiyama Degree)
A young life during the Setsubun event
A 4-year-old boy died of stuffing beans in his throat at the Centers for Early Childhood Education in Matsue.
According to the city, the boy participated in sowing beans after eating as many beans as the number of years, but he does not know the details such as when the beans were clogged in his throat.
However, it is not uncommon for young children to get stuck in their throats or suffocate.
According to the Consumer Affairs Agency's compilation of information received from medical institutions nationwide, accidents such as "suffocation" caused by food from children under the age of 14 and "mistakes" that accidentally enter the trachea have occurred in the last 10 years. There are 164 cases.
Of these, 141, or 86%, were under the age of five.
By food that caused the
problem
,
▼ "Confectionery" was the most common with 61 cases.
"Confectionery" also includes rice crackers and rice crackers.
▼ The next most common was "beans and nuts" with 31 cases.
▼ And 22 cases of "fruit".
▼ 18 cases of "meat / fish".
▼ Continued with 14 cases of "Rice / Bread".
"Beans" are not the only cause of accidents.
Last year, a 4-year-old child died in Tokyo after having his grapes stuck in his throat.
When a young child eats something, an adult needs to keep an eye on it.
However, it is said that foods that are the size of beans are easy to get stuck in the throat of young children.
Experimentally revealed choking risk
How do beans get stuck in the throat?
The Consumer Affairs Agency conducted a simulation in collaboration with medical institutions.
In the simulation, based on data such as the skeleton of a 4-year-old child, we reproduced the inside of the child's mouth on a computer and experimented with how the beans in the mouth move.
I examined the case where an average grain of about 1 cm in size is in the mouth.
Normally, if you swallow beans, they will escape from your throat into the esophagus.
However, when I simulated the case where the beans were left in my mouth and I suddenly moved my body forward, the beans slipped down in my mouth and got caught in the back of my throat.
It was thought that there was a risk of sudden movements such as playing with something in the mouth.
It was also found that the posture when swallowing may also have an effect.
Assuming I was sitting on a reclining chair, when I tilted my face up 45 degrees, the beans also rolled down in my mouth and got stuck in the back of my throat.
Since beans are originally round and small in shape, they are thought to be easy to move in the mouth when rolling or slipping.
Also, even if the beans are softened, they may get stuck in the throat if they are not swallowed firmly, and even if the beans are made smaller or chewed, if they are not swallowed well, they may enter the trachea and cause pneumonia. It could have caused it.
The simulation revealed that the movement and posture of the beans in their mouths may have an effect.
Dr. Yukihiro Michiwaki, who cooperated with the experiment, points out that young children are at risk of choking food until they can smoothly perform the two movements of chewing and swallowing food.
Dr. Yukihiro Michiwaki
"It is said that you will be able to chew food after 3 years old, and you will be able to swallow chewed food smoothly around 6 years old. Not only will you move suddenly, but you will also cry and laugh. There is also a risk of getting stuck in the throat when you do it. If you are crying, stop feeding something and give it after you stop crying. "
Consumer Affairs Agency age increase
The Consumer Affairs Agency has always called for beans and other products to be "don't eat until around the age of three."
However, this year calls for "don't feed under 5 years old".
It is said that it was a response to the fatal accident in Matsue City introduced at the beginning.
Yoshifumi Ayuzawa, Consumer Affairs Agency, Consumer Affairs Agency,
"We analyzed accident cases triggered by an accident at a childcare facility last year. I strongly recommend that you do not give it to children under the age of 5 to prevent recurrence."
Industry groups have also started to move
These movements are spreading to the industry.
Industry groups such as bean confectionery makers are calling on member companies to include precautions for children to eat on the packaging of products containing beans.
One of the bean confectionery makers who responded to this call has always put a message on the product calling for children to keep an eye on it when eating, but from the product for Setsubun, " Do not feed soybeans to children under the age of four. Do not feed them when you are crying. "
* Because the Consumer Affairs Agency had been preparing before calling for "under 5 years old", the age is "under 4 years old".
Atsushi Tanaka, General Manager, Corporate Planning Office
"In order for consumers to properly recognize the brand as a bean confectionery maker, it is important to clearly display it in stronger language as information to protect lives, so first of all, Setsubun products I decided to switch from
The children are sowing ...
Measures are being taken at childcare facilities nationwide.
Even in kindergartens and nursery schools, the number of places where beans are not sprinkled on Setsubun's "bean sowing" is increasing.
Instead, children are sown with rolled newspapers and the like.
Even when sowing beans, it seems that more and more children are trying to prevent them from accidentally putting them in their mouths, such as leaving the beans in individual bags.
In addition, in the guidelines prepared by the government for childcare facilities nationwide, "dry nuts and beans (Setsubun's demon-beating beans)" are indicated as ingredients to avoid using in school lunches.
Of course, bean-sowing is also done in the community and at home, so it is not limited to childcare facilities that need attention.
Wishes of the bereaved family
The bereaved family, who lost their 4-year-old son in an accident in Matsue City last year, commented to NHK as follows.
"It's been a year since my son passed away, but I still can't accept his death. I still wonder if this accident was something someone could have prevented. It can't be helped. Let me tell you what we are doing now about preventing recurrence so as not to waste the death of my son. We are not denying the Setsubun event. To protect the children and In order to protect the teachers, I strongly hope that you will stop "feeding beans" and "sowing beans with beans" at the nursery school. Please prevent accidents that can be prevented. I want you to protect the lives of your precious children above all else. "
From recognizing risk
Setsubun bean sowing should be remembered as a fun memory for many people.
I felt that it was necessary to consider a new form of "Setsubun bean sowing" so as not to repeat unfortunate accidents.