Follow this advice to help prevent choking

Introducing solids to a baby can feel overwhelming to first-time and experienced parents alike. Over time, many parents get more comfortable in their child’s ability to safely enjoy meals and snacks. But regardless of age, the risk of choking remains.

“Choking occurs when a piece of food or other object blocks the airway and cuts off the child’s normal breathing and oxygen supply,” explains Dr. Shannon Staley, the division director of pediatric emergency medicine at Advocate Children’s Hospital. “This lack of oxygen can quickly cause devastating health consequences, such as brain injury, if is it not rapidly reversed.”

Minimize the risk of choking by avoiding high-risk foods, such as:

• Hot dogs, sausages or chunks of meat, especially when cut into a coin shape
• Grapes, berries and grape/cherry tomatoes
• Nuts and seeds
• Popcorn and other snack foods, like chips and pretzels
• Hard candy, caramels and marshmallows
• Raw fruits and vegetables, like apples and carrots

“The best things you can do to help prevent your child from choking are to serve them food prepared in age-appropriate sizes, have them seated with their feet planted securely on the ground, and closely monitor them while they eat,” Dr. Staley says. “There are a lot of great resources online to help educate parents on the proper way to prepare and safely serve food to children.”

She also recommends minimizing distractions during mealtimes so children can focus on eating. Children should also avoid running and playing.

Dr. Staley offers the following guidance if you believe your infant or child is choking:

• If they are still actively coughing, make sure they stop eating or drinking anything else and stay close to them. Pat their back to help clear the obstruction, but do not try to move them.
• If they cannot cry, cough or breathe when choking, have someone call 911 immediately.
• For infants, place them face down on your forearm or thigh and support their face and head with one hand. With your other hand, give five firm back blows with the heel of your hand between the shoulder blades. If this does not dislodge the object, turn the infant over to face upright and using two fingers, give five chest thrusts in the center of the chest just below the nipple line. If the object is not dislodged, repeat this sequence.
• For older children, stand or kneel behind them and wrap your arms around them. Make a fist with one of your hands and place it just above their belly button. Wrap your other hand over your first and push inwards and upwards towards the chest to try to dislodge the object they are choking on. Continue this motion until the object is dislodged and the child is breathing normally.
• If your attempts to dislodge the object are unsuccessful and the child loses consciousness, start CPR until EMS arrives.

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