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Top Choking Hazards for Toddlers & Babies + How to Prevent Choking
June 2022
Last reviewed: October 2022
Author:
Jennifer Anderson, MSPH, RDN
Coauthors:
Erinn Jacobi, M.S. OTR/L
About Kids Eat in Color
Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
Author:
Jennifer Anderson, MSPH, RDN
Coauthors:
Erinn Jacobi, M.S. OTR/L
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Inside: Learn about common choking hazards for toddlers, babies and kids. Plus, learn how to prevent choking and help your child eat safely.
Many parents worry about their children choking while eating, and you may worry too. This article will teach you about the top choking hazards for babies, toddlers and other children under 4. You’ll also learn how to prevent choking and feel more confident feeding your child safely.
It can be difficult to tell if your baby or toddler is choking or simply gagging. Here are the signs you can look for to determine if your child is choking.
How do I know if my baby is choking or gagging?
When a child is gagging, their natural reflexes will kick in to keep them from choking. Gagging is very common in babies and toddlers.
A baby who is gagging may:
Cough.
Spit food out of their mouth.
Become red around the eyes.
Have watery eyes.
Vomit.
Let your child work through gagging on their own. Don’t try and remove the food with your finger, as it might push the food further back and become a choking hazard.
A child who is choking will have the symptoms of choking below. While gagging is not dangerous, choking is.
These are the main signs that your child is choking.
Child is unable to cry or cough, they are silent or there is only a small wheezing sound.
Child is unable to breathe or has to make an effort to breathe.
Child has wide eyes, looks panicked or is waving their arms.
Child loses consciousness or goes limp.
Child has fairer skin and blue or purple lips.
Related: Does feeding your child stress you out? Check out our child feeding courses, including our best-selling picky eating course BetterBites®, to learn how to feed your child confidently.
Common choking hazards by age
Are all round foods choking hazards? Does size matter? Is popcorn a choking hazard? Check out the lists below to learn the most common choking hazards for babies, toddlers and young children.
What are choking hazards for babies ages 6 to 12 months?
These foods are considered choking hazards for babies and should be avoided.
Yes, popcorn is a choking hazard for children under four years of age. Popcorn can get lodged in a child’s throat.
How to prevent choking in babies, toddlers, and kids
First off, always make sure that your baby, toddler or young child is sitting when they eat and they are being supervised. This makes eating much safer and prevents many choking episodes.
Choking prevention tips for children
Avoid some foods until 4. (See list above for common choking hazards.)
Modify hard or round foods until age 4.
Eat sitting at a table with supervision.
Be prepared if choking does happen.
Related: If you have a hard time getting your child to sit for meals, their chair and footrest may be to blame. Read the ultimate guide to high chair footrests for kids.
How to prepare for choking
Taking an infant CPR course can make sure that you are prepared for a situation in which your child is choking.
How to modify foods to prevent choking
When you are serving foods to your child, make sure to modify any hard, round or slippery foods.
1. Cook choking hazards for babies, toddlers and kids
You can cook hard foods to make them softer. For example, cook carrots until they are soft. For a baby or toddler, cook the carrots until you can easily mash them between your thumb and forefinger.
2. Shred choking hazards for babies, toddlers and kids
You can also shred foods to make them safe for toddlers to eat. This includes shredding a raw apple for a toddler.
3. Cut choking hazards for babies, toddlers and kids
Cut foods lengthwise to make long, skinny pieces.
Your baby’s windpipe is about the size of a drinking straw. This means that foods can easily get stuck. So, always cut things into very small pieces that cannot get lodged in their throat. As your child grows, assume their windpipe is about the size of their pinky finger.
When you are preparing finger foods for babies and young toddlers who have a pincer grasp, cut the foods into pieces half the size of your pinky finger.
As your child gets older, you can slowly increase the size of the foods that you are cutting up. For example, you may choose to quarter grapes for a toddler and cut grapes in half for a three-year-old.
4. Grind nuts and seeds
Also, grind seeds and nuts into a powder and mix into something else, or mix nut butter into another food like yogurt. You can also very thinly spread nut butter on a piece of lightly toasted bread.
Most children can eat unmodified food at or after age four, but you need to determine what is safe for your child. You may choose to continue to modify some foods based on your comfort level and your child’s abilities.
Nutrition advice from our team of experts
Whether you’ve got a baby at home or an older kid, feeding children can be a tricky feat! Learn more about child nutrition and feeding children from our team of experts.
Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
Jennifer Anderson is a registered dietitian and has a masters of science in public health from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. In 2019, she founded Kids Eat in Color®, a public health resource that improves child and family nutrition and mental health. Prior to starting Kids Eat in Color® she coordinated youth nutrition programs at a food bank, performed research in inner-city food deserts, and consulted for the USDA national office SNAP-Ed program. Her academic background is in public health nutrition, cultural anthropology, and economics.
Inside: Learn about common choking hazards for toddlers, babies and kids. Plus, learn how to prevent choking and help your child eat safely.
Many parents worry about their children choking while eating, and you may worry too. This article will teach you about the top choking hazards for babies, toddlers and other children under 4. You’ll also learn how to prevent choking and feel more confident feeding your child safely.
Article contents:
Signs of gagging
Signs of choking
Choking hazards for babies (6 to 12 months old)
Choking hazards for toddlers (12 to 24 months old)
Choking hazards for children under 4 years?
Is popcorn a choking hazard?
How to prevent choking
How to prepare for choking
How to modify foods to prevent choking
Signs of choking in babies and in young children
It can be difficult to tell if your baby or toddler is choking or simply gagging. Here are the signs you can look for to determine if your child is choking.
How do I know if my baby is choking or gagging?
When a child is gagging, their natural reflexes will kick in to keep them from choking. Gagging is very common in babies and toddlers.
A baby who is gagging may:
Let your child work through gagging on their own. Don’t try and remove the food with your finger, as it might push the food further back and become a choking hazard.
A child who is choking will have the symptoms of choking below. While gagging is not dangerous, choking is.
Related: Got a baby who is just starting to eat solid foods? Are you using the best utensils for babies? Find out! If your child is older, see out our guide for the best utensils for toddlers and kids.
What are the signs that a child is choking?
These are the main signs that your child is choking.
Related: Does feeding your child stress you out? Check out our child feeding courses, including our best-selling picky eating course BetterBites®, to learn how to feed your child confidently.
Common choking hazards by age
Are all round foods choking hazards? Does size matter? Is popcorn a choking hazard? Check out the lists below to learn the most common choking hazards for babies, toddlers and young children.
What are choking hazards for babies ages 6 to 12 months?
These foods are considered choking hazards for babies and should be avoided.
Related: Not sure what to feed your child? Get our pediatric RD’s top 25 first foods for babies.
What are choking hazards for toddlers ages 12 to 24 months?
These foods are choking hazards for toddlers and should be avoided.
Related: Now that you know what not to feed your child, learn what one-year-olds should eat.
What are choking hazards for children under 4 years?
These foods should be avoided until age 4.
Related: Is your child two? Here’s what to feed your two-year-old. Then, get tips on feeding your three-year-old.
Is popcorn a choking hazard?
Yes, popcorn is a choking hazard for children under four years of age. Popcorn can get lodged in a child’s throat.
How to prevent choking in babies, toddlers, and kids
First off, always make sure that your baby, toddler or young child is sitting when they eat and they are being supervised. This makes eating much safer and prevents many choking episodes.
Choking prevention tips for children
Related: If you have a hard time getting your child to sit for meals, their chair and footrest may be to blame. Read the ultimate guide to high chair footrests for kids.
How to prepare for choking
Taking an infant CPR course can make sure that you are prepared for a situation in which your child is choking.
How to modify foods to prevent choking
When you are serving foods to your child, make sure to modify any hard, round or slippery foods.
Note: See our top 5 choking prevention tools for parents.
1. Cook choking hazards for babies, toddlers and kids
You can cook hard foods to make them softer. For example, cook carrots until they are soft. For a baby or toddler, cook the carrots until you can easily mash them between your thumb and forefinger.
2. Shred choking hazards for babies, toddlers and kids
You can also shred foods to make them safe for toddlers to eat. This includes shredding a raw apple for a toddler.
3. Cut choking hazards for babies, toddlers and kids
Cut foods lengthwise to make long, skinny pieces.
Your baby’s windpipe is about the size of a drinking straw. This means that foods can easily get stuck. So, always cut things into very small pieces that cannot get lodged in their throat. As your child grows, assume their windpipe is about the size of their pinky finger.
When you are preparing finger foods for babies and young toddlers who have a pincer grasp, cut the foods into pieces half the size of your pinky finger.
As your child gets older, you can slowly increase the size of the foods that you are cutting up. For example, you may choose to quarter grapes for a toddler and cut grapes in half for a three-year-old.
4. Grind nuts and seeds
Also, grind seeds and nuts into a powder and mix into something else, or mix nut butter into another food like yogurt. You can also very thinly spread nut butter on a piece of lightly toasted bread.
Related: Discover the Best Baby Food Grinder
What about children over the age of 4?
Most children can eat unmodified food at or after age four, but you need to determine what is safe for your child. You may choose to continue to modify some foods based on your comfort level and your child’s abilities.
Nutrition advice from our team of experts
Whether you’ve got a baby at home or an older kid, feeding children can be a tricky feat! Learn more about child nutrition and feeding children from our team of experts.
For more strategies and guidance on feeding your toddlers and kids, shop our courses today!
References