Food Choking Hazards for Babies and Toddlers

Introducing your baby to solid foods is an exciting time. However, knowing when and how to best introduce new foods is important to help minimize your child’s risk of choking. Keep reading to learn common food choking hazards for babies and choking prevention tips.

Potential Food Choking Hazards

Because of their small mouths and because solid food is still new to them, infants and toddlers can’t handle certain foods as well as older children or adults. The following common foods can be hazardous for a small child:

Experts recommend waiting to introduce your child to certain foods, like hot dogs and popcorn, until they’re 4 years old. Other foods from this list, like grapes and cherry tomatoes, can be introduced as early as 6 to 9 months, as long as they’re chopped into small pieces. While there are some general guidelines, every child’s readiness level is different. Your child’s pediatrician can help answer specific questions regarding whether your little one is ready to try a certain new food.

Childhood Choking Prevention Tips

The way you prepare your child’s foods and their mealtime environment play a vital role in their choking risks.

Food Preparation

It’s important to prepare foods according to your child’s developmental stages. With grapes, for instance, small pieces are key. Cut each grape in half and then quarter each half, creating eight tiny pieces. As your child ages, they’ll be able to eat larger pieces, requiring only quarters and then halves, until they’re ready to chew a whole, round grape around age 4.

Another tip is to avoid cutting cylindrical foods, like string cheese, hot dogs and cucumbers, into coin-shaped pieces that can easily get lodged in a small child’s throat. A safer option is to cut them into short, thin strips.

Your Child’s Mealtime Environment

Though some foods naturally pose a higher choking risk, in some cases, choking may not be caused by the foods themselves, but rather the way your child is eating. Here are some safety tips to follow:

• Avoid allowing your child to eat in the car or stroller
• Avoid feeding your child small foods that are tough to chew and swallow
• Choose a quiet room or area to promote quiet mealtimes
• Discourage rushed eating
• Ensure your child sits up while eating, rather than lying down, crawling or walking
• Help your child avoid distractions (such as high-energy pets, the television or their toys) at mealtime
• Never leave your small child unattended while they’re eating

Creating a safe, calm environment for your child’s meals can help them feel less pressured to eat quickly and allow them to focus better on chewing their food well. Another equally important aspect is knowing what to do during a choking episode. We want to help you feel prepared for every unexpected health concern, which is why we offer family and parent education programs, like infant and pediatric CPR, to help you get ready for this next chapter.

We’ll Be Right by Your Side

Watching your child grow and develop new skills, like eating solid foods, is exciting, and we’re here to support you at every step. When experiencing an emergency like choking, knowing where to go for expert treatment quickly is important. Learn more about our emergency care services and find an AdventHealth ER near you.