The HSE have listed the ten most troublesome foods for choking in Babies and young children.
- Hot dogs/sausages
- Raw carrots
- Apples
- Grapes (and similar shaped fruit and vegetables, e.g., cherry tomatoes, soft fruits)
- Nuts
- Peanut butter
- Marshmallows
- Chewing gum
- Boiled sweets
- Popcorn
Parents and carers are advised to cut grapes, cherry tomatoes and similar shaped soft fruits into quarters or smaller as the fruit has the potential to block a child’s airway in a choking incident.
It is also advised that children should sit still when eating as the likelihood of choking increases if they are moving around. The HSE encourages parents or guardians to never let a child eat whilst in bed and monitor their eating habits at all times.
Other advice includes removing the skins from sausages and hotdogs and cutting the food lengthays into small bite sized pieces. Thick spreads such as peanut butter should be spread sparingly on breads.
