Parents Must Supervise Meals of Children to Avoid Risk of Choking on Foods

Every year about 57 children between the ages of 0-14 die from choking on food, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A study evaluated choking-related visits to the emergency rooms in children between children ages 0-14 years between the years 2001 and 2009. The study took into consideration choking which involved food.

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Statistics show that the number of visits was much more than 100,000, nearly about 12,000 a year. The top five foods kids choked on, according to the CDC, was found to be:

1. Hard candy

2. Other candy (like gum)

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3. Meat

4. Bone

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5. Fruits and vegetables

The CDC also found that babies under three years could choke on fruits and vegetables. They could also choke on biscuits and cookies. Babies less than 4 months old could even choke on formula/milk/breast milk.

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For children 1-2 years, fruits/vegetables, seeds/nuts/shells and candy were potential risks for choking.

Parents must take care to choose foods properly and must supervise their meals. They must also encourage children to chew their food well and insist that they sit down when they eat. Posture while eating is important and children must not be allowed to lie down with food in their mouth.

Source-Medindia