Choking

Kids love putting things in their mouths. They like to get up and run around while eating, don't believe in taking small bites, and fall asleep chewing gum or sweets.

There's very little you can do to change that instinct, I'm sorry, they just have to grow out of it. What you can do, however, is make sure that the thing your child IS putting in their mouth is as minimally risky as possible.

Generally speaking, choking is more likely in up to 4 year olds. Obviously you want to be more attentive to younger children, but it's not something you can grow out of, and adults choke too. It's not something that you can ever really stop being aware of, just that as they get older, you can think about it less.

The most common cause of choking is actually talking - and especially laughing - while eating, so that's why we push so hard for kids to chew with their mouths closed and not talk with their mouths full. Let's face it, it's mostly because it's super gross to see half chewed dinner sloshing about, but also because of the choking and stuff.

Choking is potentially life threatening, but even if the ultimate price isn't paid, choking can lead to long term repercussions like psychological issues around food and eating, brain injury or neurological issues, and PTSD.

Food

Obviously, if the cause of risk is putting things in your mouth, food is a pretty big part of that. Here are some of the highest risk foods, and the ways you can minimise the risks.

  • Hard Foods

Boiled sweets, raw vegetables, chocolate mini eggs, nuts, and popcorn. Anything that needs a bit of jaw strength to crunch through is a prime choice for choking.

  • Tough Foods

Cooked or cured meats like steak or jerky, dried fruit, thick bread crusts, barky plants like bamboo or liquorice root, or my husband's overcooked veggie sausages. Food that is difficult to chew and breakdown sits in the mouth for a long time, and increases the chance of trying to swallow a mouthful that's just a bit too big.

  • Chewy or Gluey Foods

Really chewy foods that stay in the mouth for a long time can be hard for small children to swallow efficiently. Chewing gum is an obvious choice, but things like marshmallows, toffee, gummy sweets, and even peanut butter in big volumes (like, a full spoonful, not like, a full tubful), dumplings, or mashed potato (if it's thick enough) can get stuck in the mouth and lead to difficulties swallowing.

  • Stringy, Stoney, or Boney Foods

If you've ever had to pull the full length of a string bean stalk out from the back of your throat, you'll know how distressing it is - especially if you're at a friend's house for dinner and you're trying not to make a scene. Same thing for tiny fish bones, or unexpected seeds. It's amazing how fast panic sets in when you feel something caught in your throat, even for fully grown adults, imagine how scary it must be for a child.

  • Slippery or Round Foods

I've put slippery and round foods together, because the reason round foods are so dangerous is that it's very difficult to get good 'bite purchase' on them, and they can sort of shoot to the back of the mouth. Things like mango or peach slices (especially if they come in juice or syrup), berries, avocado, and even bananas can be difficult for children without teeth, and round foods like grapes and cherry tomatoes should always be cut down into halves so that they're easier to chomp.

  • Liquids

If you're bottle feeding a baby, give them your full attention. Propping the bottle up or holding it while you fall asleep can let the milk flood into their mouths and either choke them or lead to them inhaling the liquid into their lungs.

Even once your babies and toddlers start being able to hold the bottle or sippy cup on their own, keep an eye out to make sure they're controlling the flow properly.

So what should you do? Never give your child food ever? That's ridiculous.

Once your child has teeth, everything gets a lot easier, but while they're still 'gumming' their food, you want to make sure they're eating appropriate food - soft, pureed, or the kind of things that break down easily in the mouth. As you transition them onto real food, make sure everything is cut down into small pieces so they're not taking massive mouthfuls.

Don't let your kids eat lying down, and get ready to put your fingers in their mouths to fish out any food if they're falling asleep while eating. It's unreasonable to say not to let your kids eat when they're in the car, but it IS reasonable to say to only give them foods they're familiar with, and to avoid letting them have hard, tough, chewy, gluey, stringy, stoney, boney, slippery, or round foods in the car. So no steak and string beans on the motorway it is. And please don't let them suck on hard sweets or chew gum when you're driving. You might like the quiet it brings you, but it's genuinely so dangerous. So dangerous.

And please don't let your kids run around with food in their mouths, especially things like lollipops. Terrifying.

When introducing food for the first time, especially if it's a new or unusual texture, make sure you keep an eye on them to see how they handle it. MOST people manage to eat food, so you'll feel like a bit of a helicopter at first, but still, better safe than sorry, right?

Not Food

Okay, so as a general rule, don't put things in your mouth. That's great advice, but it's also the number one favourite activity of all toddlers everywhere, ever. So what can you do?

None of this advice is specific to any particular age, because we've all met a 10 year old with questionable judgement, and we all know a 3 year old we'd probably trust to do our taxes because they were just born w...i...s...e...

The thing is, you should trust your judgement because you know your kids best. If you know that your kids aren't going to see how many pieces of Lego they can fit in their mouth at once, you can let them play with Lego to their hearts' content. All children mature differently, so you can go by the age recommendations on the toy packaging, or you can use your own judgement. I'm not your boss. Unless you're Lucy reading this, then I am your boss. Hi Lucy!

  • Chew Toys

Chewy toys are great. They're specifically designed to be too big to choke on. You don't even need to get baby chew toys, if you're not fussed about lables you can toss 'em a dog toy and be done.

Just make sure that the chewies don't have any loose or small parts that could break off, and if it's made of something like plastic or silicone, check that their little teeth haven't worked through any parts that they could rip off and inhale.

  • Small Toys

Small toys are the worst. Army men have all those sharp and pointy bits that can be chewed off. Marbles? Just don't have them. If it's small enough to go in their mouth and big enough to get stuck in their throat, it's a 'supervision only' toy.

  • Coins

Kid's love the taste of cold pennies. Apart from the fact that it's gross (both to put in your mouth, and then to put back in your purse), they're so swallowable, and SO chokable. Don't let your kids put your money in their mouths. It's not worth the price. Pun intended.

  • Batteries

There's information about button batteries here, but the synopsis is this: don't let your kids put batteries in their mouths.

  • Magnets

Magnets can cause so much damage to the internal organs, and the magnets you can buy online are often much much stronger than they're legally allowed to be. Magnets are fun, but only for kids who are old and mature enough to understand they are for outside the body only.

This includes your very mature 7 year old little girl, who will DEFINITELY put magnets on the inside and outside of her cheeks, lips, and tongue, because that's how they see what having a piercing would look like. It's as ingrained into their development as making potions in puddles in the garden, and putting on fake tattoos with felt tip pens.

  • Pen Lids

Kids copy their parents. Don't chew your pen lids. It's gross, but also it's a choking risk. Don't demonstrate behaviour you don't want them to mimic.

Top Tips

If you didn't want to read through the whole page, here's a summary for you.

  • Pay attention

Kids are liabilities, and choking can be completely silent. It's not enough to keep an ear out while your kids are eating, you have to keep eyes on them too.

Until your child is old and mature enough to be able to come to you for help if they start choking, they shouldn't be left unsupervised when they're eating.

  • Make things small

If your kid can't (or won't) cut things down themselves, do it for them. Cut all their food into small enough pieces that they won't struggle to chew them properly.

  • Give age appropriate foods

Some foods are just not appropriate for kids of different ages. There are some foods you need teeth for. Some foods need jaw strength. Some foods need a degree of coordination.

  • Strap 'em down

Okay, not necessarily, but keep your kids still and preferably sitting while they're eating. Don't let your kids run around when they have things in their mouth. Food or not food.

  • Shut 'em up

Talking with your mouth full isn't just bad manners, it increases the chances of choking. Teach your kids not to talk until they've swallowed.

  • If it's not food, it doesn't go in the mouth

Everything's a choking risk if you try hard enough. Discourage your children from putting things in their mouths.

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