Choking Hazards for Young Eaters
Stay close to your baby while he eats. Choking is an emergency that can be prevented. Just make sure all food is carefully prepared. Stay nearby and watch that your baby doesn't put too much food into his mouth.
Some foods are more likely than others to cause choking. Your baby is too young for foods that are hard, chunky or need to be chewed. Save these foods until your baby is three or four years old. Then there will be less danger of choking.
Look for classes on infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and basic first aid in your community. Or borrow a free video on first aid from your video store or public library. If your baby does start to choke, call 911 right away. This is an emergency. Do what the operator says. Stay on the line until you are sure your baby is all right.
Never feed your baby the following:
- Hot dogs
- Hard candy
- Peanuts or any nuts
- Grapes
- Cookies
- Meat chunks
- Raw carrot slices
- Peanut butter
- Apple chunks
- Popcorn
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