A top Irish paediatrician has warned parents about feeding their children grapes, popcorn and marshmallows as they are major choking hazards for toddlers.
Sharing a post on her TikTok and Instagram accounts Dr Niamh Lynch told parents the eight foods that are the most high risk for choking:
Whole grapes
Popcorn
Sausages
Nuts
Hard sweets (including mini chocolate eggs)
Hot dogs
Chewing gum
Marshmallows
Parents can still feed their toddlers some of these foods, such as meat and grapes, if they are cut up carefully.
However, Dr Lynch warned to never give popcorn, hard sweets, nuts, marshmallows or chewing gum to toddlers due to the high risk of choking if become lodged in a child's throat.
She said to always cut grapes and cherry tomatoes into quarters before giving them to your child to eat.
In order to make the sausages and frankfurters safe for toddlers, parents should remove the skin and cut them lengthways and into small pieces.
Dr Lynch also warned to take great care with hard foods like apples and raw carrots as they can be extremely dangerous. The safest way to feed these to your toddler is to grate them up.
She said that while eating, toddlers should eat sitting down with no distractions.
People took to the comments to share their thoughts on the advice as well as sharing other potential food choking hazards for young children.
One woman wrote: “Don't forget raisins. My other half had our 2 year old [and] took his eyes off of her and she shoved one so far up her nose we had to take her to the hospital.”
A second added: “Raw carrots are another major risk. Many parents give them thinking they are the healthier option but very dangerous."
Another person wrote: “Lollipops are another one. And it really annoys me that in restaurants etc they're offered to kids with the bill.”
Tips to prevent choking in children
- Never leave your child alone while they are eating
- Eat sitting in a high chair or at a table with an adult supervising
- Never eat while walking or running
- Never eat in bed
Source: HSE
