Choking prevention in small children

Choking Hazards for Babies Under 12 Months

August 10, 2013 by HealthyFamilies BC

baby boy being spoon fed, with food on his face

Choking is another thing you have to keep in mind when your baby starts on solid foods. Young children's mouth muscles aren't well developed so you have to take some safety precautions.

To help prevent choking, watch your baby eat. And don't provide food during car rides or in the stroller. You may also want to avoid certain foods, like hard, round or sticky things that can be hard for babies to manage. Or you can prepare those foods carefully, as shown in the following examples:

Potential Food Hazards	Examples:	Steps to make food easier:
Round	Whole grapes Small tomatoes or large berries Hot dogs, sausages	Slice lengthwise into quarters
Hard	Fruit with pits or seeds Raw vegetables that can break into chunks, such as carrots Whole nuts or peanuts Seeds	Remove pits and seeds Grate or chop finely, cook and slice into thin sticks Chop finely
Sticky	Globs of peanut butter Raisins and other dried fruit Marshmallows	Spread thinly on toast or crackers Cut into small pieces
Stringy	Celery and citrus fruit, such as oranges and grapefruit Leafy vegetables	Remove large, stringy sections Cut into small pieces
Chunky	Chunky peanut butter or nut and seed butter Large chunks of meat or cheese	Choose smooth nut butters or seed butters; spread thinly on toast or cracker Cut into small cubes
Easy to eat by handfuls without chewing	Pretzels, chips	Serve small amounts onto plate or in bowl rather than out of bag
Bones	Chicken and whole fish	Remove bones from chicken and fish; flake fish before serving. Rub between fingers to feel for bones

Resources & Links:
HealthLink BC: Choking Rescue for Babies
HealthLink BC: Choking Prevention in Small Children

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