Many infants and children die each year from choking. These deaths can be prevented if parents and care givers watch their children more closely and keep dangerous toys, foods, and household items out of their reach.
Safety Tips: Tips for Preventing Choking
If you are the parent or care giver of an infant or child under 4 years old, follow these tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Red Cross, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce the chances of choking.
At Mealtime
- Insist that your children eat at the table, or at least sitting down. Watch young children while they eat. Encourage them to eat slowly and chew their food well.
- Cut up foods that are firm and round and can get stuck in your child’s airway, such as
- hotdogs -always cut hotdogs length-wise and then into small pieces
- grapes-cut them into quarters
- raw vegetables-cut them into small strips or pieces that are not round
Other foods that can pose a choking hazard include:
- hard or sticky candy, like whole peppermints or caramels
- nuts and seeds (don’t give peanuts to children under age 7)
- popcorn
- spoonfuls of peanut butter