Choking Foods for Children - Prevention Tips

Preschool owners, daycare providers, and parents beware! There are many foods commonly eaten by children under the age of 4 that are known to be serious choking hazards. Although there is not a law stating that these foods are prohibited in licensed preschools and daycare centers, the American Academy of Pediatrics wants the FDA to set a uniform standard and require labels on all foods known as choking foods.

The first priority of a good preschool or daycare is to keep children safe. One important way to do this is by selecting foods that are healthy and safe thereby avoiding potential choking hazards. Children under the age of 4 are at high risk for choking because they have small airways and immature eating abilities. As a rule of thumb, the pieces of food they eat should not be more than ½ in diameter. Circular shaped foods seem to be the worst. Raw veggies, popcorn, hot dogs, peanut butter, raisins, grapes, apples, hard candy, nuts, seeds, gum, and fish with bones all top the list of hazardous choking foods.

It may be best to completely avoid giving these choking foods to young children. If that's not possible, here are some important guidelines to follow:

Apples - Always chop raw apples and other firm fruits into manageable, bite-size pieces.

Carrots - Raw carrots should be finely shredded.

Grapes - Cut grapes into halves or fourths.

Peanut Butter - Children under the age of 4 should never eat large clumps of peanut butter from a spoon or finger. The safest way to eat peanut butter is by serving a thin layer on bread or crackers with a beverage.

Popcorn - The size, shape, and sharp irregular edges make popcorn a prime choking food.

Raisins - Never give raisins to children under the age of 2. Moist raisins or raisins cooked in foods may be okay for 2- to 4- year olds.

Nuts - Peanuts (just like hot dogs) are a leading cause of childhood choking. All nuts can be harmful because of their size and shape and therefore should be avoided.

Hot dogs - Although hot dogs are not commonly served in a preschool setting, they are one of the most common foods children choke on. Hot dogs must be cut up. First cut them length-wise and then chop into tiny bite-sized pieces.

Celery - The stringy quality makes celery hard for young children to swallow. First remove the outside stringy layer of the celery stick with a carrot peeler. Cut it into small pieces before serving.

Hard candy and gum - These should be avoided all together.

Make sure children are seated at a table and properly supervised while eating. Children who try to eat while moving around or laying down have a higher risk of accidently choking. The preschool or daycare center staff should be CPR and First Aid trained in case any choking situation does arise. Prevention should be the main goal. Proper knowledge of choking foods and guidelines to follow are essential to preventing accidents from happening in the first place.

Sources:

"Childcare Resource and Referral"; newsletter, Choke Food Guidelines, 2008

http://wellness.blogs.time.com/2010/02/24why-pediatricians-are-advocating-a-hot-dog-redesign/