would you give a 2 1/2 yr old carrot sticks?

torahtots

Thu, Feb 10 2011, 3:57 pm

Hot dogs should be sliced the long way. I get nervous with grapes that are only cut in half. I prefer then cut in quarters. Raisins should also be on this list.

As an adult I STILL choke on popcorn and carrots sometimes!

gp2.0

Thu, Feb 10 2011, 4:50 pm

Fox wrote:

Not only am I not hysterical, I'm pretty laissez-faire. But having cared for a child with a trach for three years (not because of choking), I am crazy-adamant on this topic.

The #1 reason for emergency pediatric tracheotomies is choking, and the top culprits are:
1. Grapes
2. Hot Dogs
3. Diced Veggies and Fruits
4. Hard candies.

I'm sure this list varies a bit from year to year, but the bottom line is absolutely no! Our ENT surgeon said not to give grapes and hot dogs until age 6, and we were very careful about that.

But you never know...I know a 7 year old that choked on a hot dog...his dad did the heimlich and all was well b'h. But you never know. Adults choke sometimes, too.

That being said, carrot sticks are ESPECIALLY difficult to bite into, even for an adult, so I'd give the toddler something else.