Hi! I hope everyone is doing well. This week has been very hectic for me between going out of town, attending the Louisiana Dietetic Association meeting, and working long days. When things get hectic for us, mealtimes can be a bit stressful and unorganized.
One thing I don’t want to compromise is food safety, well safety in general. Choking is a major concern for young children and can even lead to death in young kids. Many parents feel that once their child gets teeth, then they can chew well. Actually, chewing and swallowing functions aren’t completely developed until 8 years old! Food textures should gradually increase starting with pureed foods in infancy to soft, mashed, or ground foods then to most prepared table foods by 15-18 months.
There are many types of foods that can get stuck in a small child’s throat and cause them to choke. This includes small, hard foods that should be avoided until at least 3 or 4 years old:
Slippery foods are a major concern because they can slip down your child’s
throat and if large enough, they can get lodged.
- Hot dogs
- Whole grapes
- Large pieces of chicken or meat
- Lollipops or other slippery candies
- Gum
If possible, chop slippery foods in small pieces. Grapes should be seedless and chopped in half. For larger grapes I even chop them in quarters. Hot dogs should be sliced lengthwise instead of just in rings, which can still get lodged. Then you can slice them like before.
Use caution with sticky foods such as taffy and peanut butter. When using peanut butter, spread thinly on a food. Don’t allow large bites off the spoon. Other foods such as gummy candies, marshmallows, and jelly beans should be avoided.In order to have the safest environment, always make sure an adult is present when a child is eating. Make sure that the child is always sitting and not running around with food in his mouth.
And lastly, consider taking a CPR or first aid class. Would you know what to do if your child does choke? I know I need to brush up on that knowledge. I hope that some of this information is helpful to keeping your children safe!
What are some ways that you help to prevent choking for your child? Have you ever taken a class for first aid or for CPR?
I hope everyone has a great weekend! We have nothing planned except for helping out at the church on Saturday morning where we’ll be giving out bags of food to people who need it. Thanks for reading!
