Choking: Did you know?

[amldaley]

A friend recently had to perform the heimlich on her 6 year old DD. Then another friended mention eating popcorn (which I have presently banned from our house due to choking hazards). Then I remembered another poster here posting last year about her DS and grapes. When I was recently visting my mom, she and I had a pretty hefty argument about cutting grapes for DD1 (as in, she thought it was ridiculous that I still did it, she also refused to cut carrots for DD1).

So, I started Googling around and I see that there are lots of foods we should still be cutting until they are 3, 4 or even 5 years old, new commentary and new recommendations, etc. I just thought I would share here.

I also thought it was interesting that there is a push to get the FDA to require labeling and our FDA, as yet, will not.

Here are two articles I thought were easy reads but spelled it out pretty clearly.

I am sure this will garner the, apparently requisite or obligatory, "I did not do that for my kids and they are just fine" "My DS/DD is very mature and we gave him/her whole grapes at 18 months and he/she never choked." "I think popcorn is a good snack for a 24 month old." posts. The point isn't that YOUR kid did not choke to death, the point is that they COULD and other kids HAVE.

My friend was so shaken up after the incident with her 6 yo DD that I feel like I have been "scared straight" about food safety!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/health/25choke.html?pagewanted=all

http://www.westsidetoday.com/n7640/food-choking-risks-in.html

[Gena]

I had to do the Heimlich maneuver on DS when he was 4.5. He choked on a piece of sliced apple and stopped breathing. It was the scariest thing in my life.

Yes, it is very important to be aware of that certain foods present chocking hazard to young kids. But the First Responder/EMT who checked out DS told me that the fact of the matter is that it can happen with almost any food to someone of any age. Cutting certain foods for young children is important, but don't let it give you a false sense of security that choking won't happen.

I was able to act quickly and save my son's life that day because I had taken the CPR/lifesaving class offered by our Fire Department. I urge all parents to take this kind of class.

[amldaley]

I had to do the Heimlich maneuver on DS when he was 4.5. He choked on a piece of sliced apple and stopped breathing. It was the scariest thing in my life.

Yes, it is very important to be aware of that certain foods present chocking hazard to young kids. But the First Responder/EMT who checked out DS told me that the fact of the matter is that it can happen with almost any food to someone of any age. Cutting certain foods for young children is important, but don't let it give you a false sense of security that choking won't happen.

I was able to act quickly and save my son's life that day because I had taken the CPR/lifesaving class offered by our Fire Department. I urge all parents to take this kind of class.

Good point - I need a refresher for sure!

[arivecchi]

DS1 had a choking episode when he was about 8-9 months with puffs of all things. He placed a bunch of them in his mouth at once and started turning a scary purplish blue. We were at a diner and DH had him out of the high chair and on his lap in 5 seconds flat. He started hitting his back until a big gulp of puffs came out. I was so glad that DH was able to respond so quickly. Not sure I would have reacted the same way.

[hillview]

When DS2 was 3 he was eating watermelon (cut up into chunks) and choked. DH and I were right there. I told DH (who was closest) that DS2 was choking but he didn't get what I was saying. I had to do the heimlich and he spat out a large chunk of watermelon. SO scary.

My BIL was eating a bagel and his daughter (2 at the time) was about to fall off the couch so he ran to her and he choked -- lucky my sister had waited 2 mins to hop in the shower upstairs. She did the heimlich on him.

[Meatball Mommie]

I have now performed the Heimlich twice - once on an adult co-worker and once on my own child. I have had the Heimlich performed on myself as well. My mother also had to perform the Heimlich on an adult co-worker. None of those incidents involved any foods considered a normal choking hazard. My co-worker was eating chicken strips for her lunch and laughed at someone, which caused her to choke. I was eating pretzels of all things - still don't know what I did exactly, but I think it might have been pretzels combined with a sip of a drink and it just got stuck. My mother's co-worker was eating an orange and swallowed quickly in order to answer a phone call. My son, who was 7 at the time, was eating a slice of pizza and bit off too big a piece of cheese.

While I wouldn't discount choking hazards and I think certain foods present a valid concern, I wouldn't ban any foods because of the hazard. Preparedness/training and a calm reaction go a long way.

[vonfirmath]

I had to do the Heimlich maneuver on DS when he was 4.5. He choked on a piece of sliced apple and stopped breathing. It was the scariest thing in my life.

Yes, it is very important to be aware of that certain foods present chocking hazard to young kids. But the First Responder/EMT who checked out DS told me that the fact of the matter is that it can happen with almost any food to someone of any age. Cutting certain foods for young children is important, but don't let it give you a false sense of security that choking won't happen.

I agree. I know a guy who almost died when he choked on a McDonald's fry (he was driving when it happened...)

[edurnemk]

I had to do the heimlich on my son at 17 months, he choked on a banana. Terrifying. So, yeah, I agree they can choke on anything. He's 4.5 yo and I still don't let him eat stuff unless there's a grownup around. His preK teacher also won't let them snack on stuff outside of the classroom where there's more direct supervision, in case they choke.

[amldaley]

I have now performed the Heimlich twice - once on an adult co-worker and once on my own child. I have had the Heimlich performed on myself as well. My mother also had to perform the Heimlich on an adult co-worker. None of those incidents involved any foods considered a normal choking hazard. My co-worker was eating chicken strips for her lunch and laughed at someone, which caused her to choke. I was eating pretzels of all things - still don't know what I did exactly, but I think it might have been pretzels combined with a sip of a drink and it just got stuck. My mother's co-worker was eating an orange and swallowed quickly in order to answer a phone call. My son, who was 7 at the time, was eating a slice of pizza and bit off too big a piece of cheese.

While I wouldn't discount choking hazards and I think certain foods present a valid concern, I wouldn't ban any foods because of the hazard. Preparedness/training and a calm reaction go a long way.

Except, as cited in both articles, some foods can not be cleared from the airway, like popcorn or peels like grape skins. So doing the heimlich is not the end all-be all answer.

[HannaAddict]

People all have thought I'm crazy for years about the popcorn until older ban! Except our friend who is a pediatrician and agreed.

[wencit]

My mom thinks I am a paranoid freak for still cutting up hot dogs and grapes for DS1, who is nearly 6 1/2. Yet, I will never, EVER forget the story of Masyn, a best friend of a DC of one of the posters on this board, who choked to death on a hot dog. And Fairy's story of her DS (who was older at the time, maybe 4 or 5?) choking on a grape. They made huge impressions on me.

I agree that it's also important to take a CPR class, in case the worst case scenario does happen, no matter what anyone's been eating.

[amldaley]

People all have thought I'm crazy for years about the popcorn until older ban! Except our friend who is a pediatrician and agreed.

EVERY person I have mentioned this to thinks I am crazy. So glad someone else has even heard of it!

[amldaley]

My mom thinks I am a paranoid freak for still cutting up hot dogs and grapes for DS1, who is nearly 6 1/2. Yet, I will never, EVER forget the story of Masyn, a best friend of a DC of one of the posters on this board, who choked to death on a hot dog. And Fairy's story of her DS (who was older at the time, maybe 4 or 5?) choking on a grape. They made huge impressions on me.

I agree that it's also important to take a CPR class, in case the worst case scenario does happen, no matter what anyone's been eating.

Fairy! That's who I was thinking of!

[hellokitty]

Yes, it is scary. One of my friends, her 18 mo old son choked and passed out while eating a cracker. Luckily, EMS responded, the entire family had a really bad stomach flu, the parents were the last to get it and they said that he must have been really hungry and was just shoving crackers into his mouth when it happened.

Also, it can happen to anyone. I choked while eating an apple, when I was about 10 yrs old. I was stupidly walking down the stairs when it happened and I got lucky that my dad happened to be walking to the hallway bathroom and was able to help me to dislodge it.

[Fairy]

I literally still have nightmares. I actually dream about it. Not every single night or anything, but it's at least four or five dreams I've had that have stemmed from that incident. It is the worst thing I've ever been thru in my life, and to this day I do not buy grapes. Now and then I will catch that DS has snuck one off a buffet or something, and when I do, he'll say, "I chewed real good, Mommy!" I know that he's almost 8 now, and I should stop visiting this on him, but the sight of him with a grape just makes me shake. I still think about Masyn, balloons, and hot dogs, too. Some things just stay with you forever.

Here's the post.
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=327438&highlight=psa%2C+choking%2C+fairy

[anamika]

Yes to the popcorn thing.

Someone on here also mentioned that her DC choked on a small piece of the plastic that is on the end of a straw. I think she said she had to put her finger in and pull it out.

It's not a hard and fast rule but I avoid sending grapes for DD's lunch.

[lhafer]

I'm a nurse and the one thing I HATED when we had to do our CPR check offs at work (hospital setting), was that we were trained using ambu bags!!! Seriously?!?! Because if a child or adult needed CPR in the middle of the hallway because they were there visiting someone - yes, let me whip out my ambu bag out of my back pocket! Stupidest thing EVER!

I also had a friend (adult male) choke on a piece of popcorn. While he didn't require the heimlich, a piece of popcorn actually made it all the way down into his lungs. It bothered him, and he had a cough afterwards for a couple of weeks. Then he developed aspiration pneumonia, and landed him in the hospital for a long stay.

[amldaley]

I'm a nurse and the one thing I HATED when we had to do our CPR check offs at work (hospital setting), was that we were trained using ambu bags!!! Seriously?!?! Because if a child or adult needed CPR in the middle of the hallway because they were there visiting someone - yes, let me whip out my ambu bag out of my back pocket! Stupidest thing EVER!

Is that like the face mask? When I took CPR in college, we had to carry ours with us - as if I would just carry it all the time IRL.

[lhafer]

Is that like the face mask? When I took CPR in college, we had to carry ours with us - as if I would just carry it all the time IRL.

Yes. I worked in the NICU, and of course each patient had their own ambu bags at the bedside, but in the NICU, those are TINY. And then we had extra infant ones, and child and adult ones on each crash cart around the unit. But if someone needs help outside a unit, in the hallway/elevator/cafeteria/parking lot/etc - you don't just carry an ambu bag around with you.

2465

[gatorsmom]

My mom thinks I am a paranoid freak for still cutting up hot dogs and grapes for DS1, who is nearly 6 1/2. Yet, I will never, EVER forget the story of Masyn, a best friend of a DC of one of the posters on this board, who choked to death on a hot dog.


:yeahthat: I always think of Masyn when my kids ask for hotdogs. I rarely buy them for that reason.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

yes i am considered a paranoid freak when it comes to kids choking. i still remember choking on a piece of orange when i was 5. freaked the hell out of me. I'm sure it scared my mom a thousand times more. And i was a VERY cautious, careful kid especially when it came to eating. So yeah, it can happen to anyone.

In our moms group people are pretty lax and let their toddlers eat whole grapes and such. I still cut them up for my kids, but when we go to ppl's houses for playdates and what not, they are just always out just like that (not cut), i have to go ask for a knife, meanwhile my kids see them and other kids eating them whole and want them NOW, they start grabbing and both my 17 month old and 2.5 year old start shoving whole grapes in their mouths! UGH. JUST started letting DS eat them if they are there but the whole time remind him to chew well.

i won't let my DC eat any sort of hard candy, except for the DUmDum lollipops we get from the DR's offices, bc they're small, it's on a stick and therefore less likely to lodge into their throats. whereas things like grapes, hotdogs, bagels, seem like the worst things to give to a kid bc the consistency makes it prime choking material...when i used to eat bagels myself in college i think i came close to choking a few times.

Another thing that scares me are balloons. I remember in HS reading a story about a local 2 year old who had to be taken of life support after he was determined to be brain dead, after he choked on a piece of balloon at a birthday party. Heartbreaking. My DS is old/aware enough to not put non-food items in his mouth, but DD is not.

Anyway, good reminder that i need to take a child CPR refresher course. I took infant CPR at my hospital when i was pregnant with DS, but that was 3 years ago and plus that was for infants (less than 1yo).

[okinawama]

Is there a recommended size to cut the items into? I usually cut hot dogs in circles and then again itnto fourths for my youngest DS, and half for DS1 (same with grapes) but I've never seen exactly how small things should be for certain ages.

Thanks OP for the reminder on this important and life saving topic!

[amldaley]

yes i am considered a paranoid freak when it comes to kids choking. i still remember choking on a piece of orange when i was 5. freaked the hell out of me. I'm sure it scared my mom a thousand times more. And i was a VERY cautious, careful kid especially when it came to eating. So yeah, it can happen to anyone.

In our moms group people are pretty lax and let their toddlers eat whole grapes and such. I still cut them up for my kids, but when we go to ppl's houses for playdates and what not, they are just always out just like that (not cut), i have to go ask for a knife, meanwhile my kids see them and other kids eating them whole and want them NOW, they start grabbing and both my 17 month old and 2.5 year old start shoving whole grapes in their mouths! UGH. JUST started letting DS eat them if they are there but the whole time remind him to chew well.

i won't let my DC eat any sort of hard candy, except for the DUmDum lollipops we get from the DR's offices, bc they're small, it's on a stick and therefore less likely to lodge into their throats. whereas things like grapes, hotdogs, bagels, seem like the worst things to give to a kid bc the consistency makes it prime choking material...when i used to eat bagels myself in college i think i came close to choking a few times.

Another thing that scares me are balloons. I remember in HS reading a story about a local 2 year old who had to be taken of life support after he was determined to be brain dead, after he choked on a piece of balloon at a birthday party. Heartbreaking. My DS is old/aware enough to not put non-food items in his mouth, but DD is not.

Anyway, good reminder that i need to take a child CPR refresher course. I took infant CPR at my hospital when i was pregnant with DS, but that was 3 years ago and plus that was for infants (less than 1yo).

You can come to a playdate at my house - we'll have all the grapes cut up and I promise to not give your kids any ridiculous candies they should not be eating b/c we have the exact same rules. I am the freak who won't let her (just turned) 4 year old eat hard taffies, hard candies or chew gum.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

You can come to a playdate at my house - we'll have all the grapes cut up and I promise to not give your kids any ridiculous candies they should not be eating b/c we have the exact same rules. I am the freak who won't let her (just turned) 4 year old eat hard taffies, hard candies or chew gum.

hehe :) oh yeah taffies are banned from this house, not just bc of the choking issue but the teeth thing..i don't want to have to brush my kids teeth more than i have to!

oh that reminds me...at my first communion party (i was 7), an older cousin gave my brother (then 2 years old) a life saver candy, and he choked on it. my mom didn't notice (lots of people milling around, pretty busy) until she saw him struggling to breathe! She had to do the heimlich. Scary sh*t. If something like that ever happend to my DC, i think i'd probably lose 10 years of my life right then and there...

[kaharris83]

Thank you for sharing all this information and your own practices. I hadn't really thought about popcorn, but I haven't given it to DS either. At playgroup this week a mom who isn't usually at our meetings came with a large ziploc of popcorn and was passing it out to the kids. The playgroup is for kids who are 18-28 months. I thought at the time it didn't seem like an appropriate snack choice for littles. Glad DS was too into the sprinkler to notice the popcorn. :)

[BabyBearsMom]

DD once choked on a chip. DH flipped her over his lap and she threw up all over him, but he did get it out.

[edurnemk]

Another thing that scares me are balloons. ).

:yeahthat: they've alwayse terryfied me, ditto about the hard candy. DS is 4.5 and I only recently have let him eat it but only if sitting next to me (he's been given hard candy at parties and such, I never buy them)

[purple]

This is all good common sense advice. We always cut up grapes and hot dogs and bananas at our house. But I too worry about the times that I am not around. Therefore I've tried to teach my 3 year old to bite into a whole grape, cherry tomato, or olive, rather than popping them whole. That way if I'm not there to cut up her food she knows what to do.

[boolady]

I am the freak who won't let her (just turned) 4 year old eat hard taffies, hard candies or chew gum.

DD will be 6 years old in about 7 weeks and has never chewed gum. They alway give her a BlowPop at the dry cleaner, and she now knows that once she gets to the center to just hand it to me and I throw out the gum part.

[fedoragirl]

You know I freak about the same foods and try to prevent DD from eating hot dog meat without cutting it up but since that is literally a staple here in Germany and kids eat it at almost every meal, I do get a lot of funny looks from the German moms. And guess what, no one here knows of anyone who has choked on a wiener. I need to look at the statistics but I haven't heard of any anecdotal stories.
It's just funny to me the things we worry about. My Japanese friend laughed at me when I ate 2 servings of fish while pregnant. She said she wouldn't have eaten anything the other 5 days if that's all she was allowed. Sure they eat other stuff in Japan but fish is the main part of the meal.
I guess I am just careful about all foods but not paranoid about any. DD eats nuts all the time. I just make sure she is sitting and eating and not running around. Come to think of it, I rarely let her run around and eat anything.

[AnnieW625]

My 2nd cousin died after choking on some food mixed with vomit when he was just over 2 yrs. old. I never knew him, but I am extra cautious about food as well although I go through phases cutting grapes into quarter size pieces vs. just in half. Strawberries always get sliced and so do bananas sometimes.

I had a friend who wouldn't give her then 7 yr. old a hot dog. DD1 wouldn't eat a hot dog until she was 4 and even then rarely ate them unless they were cut up in mac n cheese so I didn't have to worry about that for her much at all.

I didn't do hard candies (and even then they aren't around our house a lot) or gum until DD1 was about 5 yrs. old. She is pretty good about not swallowing it. They get Dum Dum pops.

I went through a phase where I would chop up grapes in quarters when DD1 was 4 and preschool. I am less anal about it now, but I'll probably start again.

[happymom]

Add me to the list of paranoid moms when it comes to choking. All my friends think I go overboard, but I don't care. I don't allow DD to have popcorn at all (I'm even a little nervous eating it myself! :bag), and I always cut all her grapes, baby tomatoes, olives, and of course hot dogs. As a PP mentioned, I have taught her to bite into these foods in case they are ever given to her whole.

I still have never given DD raw carrots (she'll be 4 in December) and that may be crazy, but I can't help myself!

I get very nervous about all the taffies and chewy candies that she gets at friends houses or at school. Sometimes I think though that since I rarely give her any of these things, she doesn't have the chance to learn to eat them properly.

The other day when I picked her up from (backyard) camp, all the children had been given a piece of gum. DD told me she didn't take a piece because she knows she's not allowed and wanted to ask me first (!)...I felt bad so I said she could have a piece. I figured if all those kids were sitting there chewing gum without a problem, maybe it was time for DD to be allowed a piece for a treat! Within 2 minutes, she was gagging and having a really hard time chewing it. She spit it out and said she didn't want it anymore....I think I should have given her a much smaller piece to start with.

At work, with my 3-4 yr olds, when school hot lunch is hot dogs (or sometimes franks n blanks) I cut every child's hot dog. I know the other teachers don't do this, and it really makes me nervous.

[Nechums]

DS often wants a hot dog in a bun. I slice it length-wise into quarters and figure each bite will contain small enough pieces. Something about this still bothers me though. Am I being paranoid for no reason or is even this method a choking concern?

[123LuckyMom]

Okinawama and Nechums, I cut my hotdogs into quarters lengthwise. Now that DS is almost 4, he eats his hotdog in a bun. I'm one of those careless moms, though. When DS was little I cut his grapes. I haven't for quite a while. I still don't do popcorn or hard candies, but I let DS eat lots of nuts, and I know they're dangerous. They're a big source of protein for him.

[fedoragirl]

Okinawama and Nechums, I cut my hotdogs into quarters lengthwise. Now that DS is almost 4, he eats his hotdog in a bun. I'm one of those careless moms, though. When DS was little I cut his grapes. I haven't for quite a while. I still don't do popcorn or hard candies, but I let DS eat lots of nuts, and I know they're dangerous. They're a big source of protein for him.

I wouldn't exactly call that careless...maybe, more laid back?
I agree with a PP who wrote that just about any food can become a choking hazard. I have taught my kids to bite into foods, not eat while running, and to avoid talking with food in their mouths (DD has a hard time with this one).
Where I live, raw carrots are given to infants for teething. Yikes! No problems with those kids. They also give really hard toast to kids around 8-9 months. I fear that would get lodged in the throat and be a pain to get out.
I am paranoid about car seats and helmet use, but food...meh. It's more important for me to expand their palate, diet, and provide them with nutritious food. I do cut wieners, grapes, olives etc. but DD eats raw carrots, nuts, and everything else that could be a choking hazard. What I refuse to give them is nutrionally deficient food like hard candy and popcorn. They can eat all that when they are teens. :D

[Katigre]

I read the articles and frankly think some of the recommendations don't make any sense. NO raw vegetables for children under age 5???? That kind of made me skeptical of the dr.'s recommendations. Everything has a risk, eating has risks as does drinking, and the statistics actually weren't that alarming - 73 children per year die from choking in the US. 73. Which is a tragic thing for each of those children, but by no means a pandemic indicating we're feeding them hazardous food by and large. Assuming that the 'top 10 chokables' constituted hald of that number (40ish) then we've got less than 10 kids dying each year from hot dogs or grapes.

I don't understand the 'no gum' rule. Chewing gum is good for oral motor control according to speech therapists. Both my kids have been chewing gum for ages without an issue, it never even occurred to me to classify that as being in the same category as hard candy or other chokables.

ETA: Some of the rec's make sense to me such as no popcorn/whole hotdogs/whole grapes for kids under 3. I also agree with teaching HOW to eat food properly b/c anything can be a choking hazard. Remember the thread where someone knew a child who had choked on macaroni and cheese? This is partly why I believe in BLW for starting solids, because it allows the child to learn good biting habits/mouth portion control at a young age.

[amldaley]

This is all good common sense advice. We always cut up grapes and hot dogs and bananas at our house. But I too worry about the times that I am not around. Therefore I've tried to teach my 3 year old to bite into a whole grape, cherry tomato, or olive, rather than popping them whole. That way if I'm not there to cut up her food she knows what to do.

We've taught DD1 to bite from the side to create a piece in her mouth that is not round.

[amldaley]

Add me to the list of paranoid moms when it comes to choking. All my friends think I go overboard, but I don't care. I don't allow DD to have popcorn at all (I'm even a little nervous eating it myself! :bag), and I always cut all her grapes, baby tomatoes, olives, and of course hot dogs. As a PP mentioned, I have taught her to bite into these foods in case they are ever given to her whole.

I still have never given DD raw carrots (she'll be 4 in December) and that may be crazy, but I can't help myself!

I get very nervous about all the taffies and chewy candies that she gets at friends houses or at school. Sometimes I think though that since I rarely give her any of these things, she doesn't have the chance to learn to eat them properly.

The other day when I picked her up from (backyard) camp, all the children had been given a piece of gum. DD told me she didn't take a piece because she knows she's not allowed and wanted to ask me first (!)...I felt bad so I said she could have a piece. I figured if all those kids were sitting there chewing gum without a problem, maybe it was time for DD to be allowed a piece for a treat! Within 2 minutes, she was gagging and having a really hard time chewing it. She spit it out and said she didn't want it anymore....I think I should have given her a much smaller piece to start with.

At work, with my 3-4 yr olds, when school hot lunch is hot dogs (or sometimes franks n blanks) I cut every child's hot dog. I know the other teachers don't do this, and it really makes me nervous.

DD! is the same way with gum...so I offer to trade. If I find out she has been so good as to refuse something like that, I give her another treat instead.

[Fairy]

I read the articles and frankly think some of the recommendations don't make any sense. NO raw vegetables for children under age 5???? That kind of made me skeptical of the dr.'s recommendations. Everything has a risk, eating has risks as does drinking, and the statistics actually weren't that alarming - 73 children per year die from choking in the US. 73. Which is a tragic thing for each of those children, but by no means a pandemic indicating we're feeding them hazardous food by and large. Assuming that the 'top 10 chokables' constituted hald of that number (40ish) then we've got less than 10 kids dying each year from hot dogs or grapes.

I will never underestimate the food choking hazards again. It only took this one time, and it's gonna haunt me for the rest of my life. Is it a pita? Yeah. But that pita of cutting up food and/or saying flat out no to other foods is worth the reduced risk for me.

[Katigre]

I will never underestimate the food choking hazards again. It only took this one time, and it's gonna haunt me for the rest of my life. Is it a pita? Yeah. But that pita of cutting up food and/or saying flat out no to other foods is worth the reduced risk for me.
I edited my post to say that I do agree with basic choking reduction strategies for young kids (i.e., cutting up hot dogs and grapes, waiting on popcorn until they're older). My issue is with the more extreme recommendations such as 'no raw vegetables' (the article didn't say 'no raw carrots' but made a blanket statement for all vegetables which is kind of a hot button issue for me - humans evolved eating raw plant material).

[Fairy]

I edited my post to say that I do agree with basic choking reduction strategies for young kids (i.e., cutting up hot dogs and grapes, waiting on popcorn until they're older). My issue is with the more extreme recommendations such as 'no raw vegetables' (the article didn't say 'no raw carrots' but made a blanket statement for all vegetables which is kind of a hot button issue for me - humans evolved eating raw plant material).

Ah. Gotcha. All raw veggies is extreme. That's a lot of range. But I see the rationale, even in its extremeness! I think. Hmm ... food for thought. No pun intended.

[happymom]

DD! is the same way with gum...so I offer to trade. If I find out she has been so good as to refuse something like that, I give her another treat instead.

That's a great idea. I know this is silly, but I start to question myself when I see 15 other 3 yr olds chewing gum without a problem....I wonder if I'm just "depriving" my poor kid for no reason! I know, I know...its better for her and she's not deprived. But hearing my DD say that she refused a treat that all the other kids have makes me feel like the paranoid mom and I just feel bad for her!

[wimama]

I read the articles and frankly think some of the recommendations don't make any sense. NO raw vegetables for children under age 5???? That kind of made me skeptical of the dr.'s recommendations. Everything has a risk, eating has risks as does drinking, and the statistics actually weren't that alarming - 73 children per year die from choking in the US. 73. Which is a tragic thing for each of those children, but by no means a pandemic indicating we're feeding them hazardous food by and large. Assuming that the 'top 10 chokables' constituted hald of that number (40ish) then we've got less than 10 kids dying each year from hot dogs or grapes.

I don't understand the 'no gum' rule. Chewing gum is good for oral motor control according to speech therapists. Both my kids have been chewing gum for ages without an issue, it never even occurred to me to classify that as being in the same category as hard candy or other chokables.

ETA: Some of the rec's make sense to me such as no popcorn/whole hotdogs/whole grapes for kids under 3. I also agree with teaching HOW to eat food properly b/c anything can be a choking hazard. Remember the thread where someone knew a child who had choked on macaroni and cheese? This is partly why I believe in BLW for starting solids, because it allows the child to learn good biting habits/mouth portion control at a young age.

I agree with this. I have seen a huge difference between BLW and pureed baby food approaches to introducing solids.

With my DS I did just what I was supposed to. I feed him purees for a long time, progressing from 1 jars to 2 jars of food then to stage 3 jars. He had a choking episode on a teething biscuit. His face was panicked and his face was turning colors. I was a bit worried about the teething biscuit because it was thinner than the Gerber biter biscuits, so I was sitting right next to him watching him eat it. By the time I had the high chair tray and straps off he coughed up the piece of teething biscuit on his own. We had to closely watch him and constantly remind him to take smaller bites and not put too much food in his mouth up until he was around 3 years old. It was a constant battle with him.

For my DD, I had heard about Baby Lead Weaning (BLW) and the more I read about it the more it made sense. So, I tried it. We actually did a softer modified version of BLW. We still feed pureed baby food but also offered plenty of table food I thought would be appropriate for her to eat. She has only once overfilled her mouth. When I saw her overfill her mouth, I became concerned and got ready to take her out of her high chair if need be. She realized she couldn't chew because her mouth was too full. She got a concerned look on her face for a split second (no panicky, no turning colors), then proceeded to puke up her mouthful and what was in her belly. She has had about two other times where she has made a gagging sound. More of a clearing your throat sound than choking noise. Both times it was a split second gag sound where she used the gagging reflex to bring the food to the front of her mouth again and went right back to eating. She didn't miss a beat. In those two instances, the gagging was just a way for her to get the food back to a safe position in her mouth. She wasn't alarmed and I wasn't alarmed.

Babies have strong gag reflexes and the gag reflex is triggered further towards the front of the mouth in younger infants. So, the thought behind BLW is that the babies learn to manage food in their mouths better if they are allowed to eat table food at a earlier age. Pureed baby food is usually sucked off the spoon into the back of the mouth. By learning how to chew and keep food towards the front of the mouth, babies will hopefully be less likely to choke. Learning to manage table food later when the gag reflex is further back in the mouth, it is easier to overfill the mouth or allow the food to go back too far into the mouth. Learning these skills at a earlier age is thought to be help protect against choking when they are older. That said you are not supposed to start BLW until at least 6 months old and should only start BLW after signs of readiness for solids are there. I recommend reading up on BLW thoroughly before trying it.

Now all that said, we did a modified version of BLW. We don't do hard raw veggies yet, I cut up grapes and cherries into at least quarters, I will cut up hot dogs into at least quarters lengthwise and we will hold off on popcorn till she is older. Certain foods are definately easier to choke on but any food can pose a choking hazard, even food meant for babies like teething biscuits. At this point my DD is almost 1 year old and she is more skilled at eating at a year old than her brother was at 2 years old. I give her a half of a banana, pancakes or a slice of watermelon and let her take bites of it. I actually think she takes smaller bites of food if she is allowed to take those bites herself. Denser food like meat I cut in really tiny pieces because of the choking hazard.

I have really been impressed on how when she eats now after doing our modified, softer version of BLW. And, while I will still insure that my DD isn't given food that is a choking hazard, I feel that BLW has given her skills to better be able to handle food and hopefully those skills will help protect her from choking.

[Kyras mom]

I, too, occasionally think of Masyn (choked to death on a hot dog). I often remind my daughter to not laugh while eating.

[citymama]

Thank you for posting this and the reminder to err on the side of caution even if one hasn't had a problem in the past. My DH almost choked on an undercooked piece of potato at a restaurant last year - why not be extra cautious when it comes to little ones?

Another thing we all relax about even though they are extremely dangerous is balloons. Busted balloons are absolutely deadly to kids. I'm trying to enforce a balloon ban, but haven't been successful. But we try to be vigilant and watch DD2 closely, in particular, when around balloons. No balloons in the backseat of the car, for e.g., or in their bedroom.

[BabyDahl]

Thank you for posting this and the reminder to err on the side of caution even if one hasn't had a problem in the past. My DH almost choked on an undercooked piece of potato at a restaurant last year - why not be extra cautious when it comes to little ones?

Another thing we all relax about even though they are extremely dangerous is balloons. Busted balloons are absolutely deadly to kids. I'm trying to enforce a balloon ban, but haven't been successful. But we try to be vigilant and watch DD2 closely, in particular, when around balloons. No balloons in the backseat of the car, for e.g., or in their bedroom.

You know, I hate balloons, too. Water balloon fragments seem to be strewn all over my neighborhood so I have to follow Dd very closely and watch her like a hawk. Of course she's super attracted to the brightly colored pieces hidden in the grass, etc. and I am petrified that she'll inhale a piece.