Posted on: Saturday, October 12, 2002

PRESCRIPTIONS
Precautions keep tots from choking

By Amy Tousman

What can I do to prevent my 1-year-old from choking at mealtime?

U.S.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data indicate that more than 2,800 people choke to death each year. Of these, most are children 4 and younger.

Young children can choke easily because they have small airways. A piece of food that becomes stuck in the throat can block the airway.

Latex balloons and marbles are common causes of choking in children.

Food also is a culprit. Proper food selection, preparation and serving practices reduce the risk of choking.

The January/February 2002 issue of Food Insight Newsletter offers these tips:

• Choose foods appropriate for your child's age. Babies who are just beginning to eat table food have only a few teeth. They can't chew many foods. They do best with cooked, soft foods. Their food should be cut into pea-sized pieces.

• Cut meats into thin, small pieces. Meat is difficult for infants and toddlers to chew because of its texture.

• Children don't learn to chew with a grinding motion until they are 4. Until then, the following foods should be avoided:

• Nuts and popcorn.
• Hard candy, lollipops, marshmallows, caramels and jellybeans.
• Fish or chicken with bones.
• Vienna sausage, hot dogs served whole or cut in "coins."
• Unpeeled apples, pears.
• Whole grapes, cherries with pits.
• Raisins and other dried fruits.
• Spoonfuls of peanut butter.
• Snack chips.

• Keep your child in sight the entire time he or she is eating. A young child who is choking on a piece of food isn't able to cry or call out for help.

• A child who is eating while lying on the couch or a child who crams giant bites of food into his mouth is at risk of choking. Toddlers should sit down to eat their food. They should never be allowed to walk or run when eating.

• Children should chew thoroughly and should not rush their meals.

Parents and caregivers should prepare for a choking emergency by learning how to perform a finger sweep of the mouth and other life-saving techniques.

Infant and child CPR classes that teach these skills are available at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, 535-7000; Kaiser Permanente, 432-2260.