Do you worry that your child will choke?
Are there any foods you don’t let her eat
because you worry about choking?
What do you do to keep your child from choking?
Your child is still learning to chew and swallow, so she needs help to keep from choking. A too-big piece of food could slip down her throat and stop at the end of her windpipe. Then when she breathes in, the food could get sucked into her windpipe and keep her from breathing.
Gagging and choking are not the same. Your child gags when food gets on the back of her tongue before she is ready to swallow it. When she gags, she pushes the food back out again. If she can breathe, she is gagging, not choking.
Here’s how to keep your toddler from choking:
- Teach her step by step to chew and swallow. Start with soft lumpy food, then go to soft pieces of table food, and finally to pieces that she needs to bite off and chew.
- Always have a grownup with her when she eats. Don’t leave older children in charge.
- Keep eating times calm and quiet. Don’t let her have food in her mouth while she yells or laughs.
- Have her sit down when she eats. Don’t let her stand up or walk around.
- Be careful of round, smooth, hard, or tough food that can slip down her throat. Cut grapes in 4 pieces. Cut hot dogs the long way. Grind meat or cut it up finely. Don’t let her have nuts, raw carrots, jelly beans, and hard candy.
- Don’t let her go to bed with a bottle, cup, or food.
- Have your health care provider teach you first aid for choking.
