What Children Choke On

The percentage of children choking on food is increasing, so it’s important to review what you, as a parent, need to keep in mind.

The number one food kids most commonly choke on is hard candy.

Between 2001 and 2009 there were more than 100,000 choking-related visits to emergency rooms that involved food for children ages 0-14 years. That’s an average of about 1000 per month.

While most of the children were treated and released, 10% were hospitalized. Although over a third of the children were under a year old, the mean age was 4.5 years.

These statistics come from non-fatal hospital visits, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) records show about 57 children 0-14 die from choking on food every year. And most (59.5%) of the choking that happens in kids is on foods, not toys.

The top five foods that kids choked on included:

1. Hard candy
2. Other candy (including gum)
3. Meat
4. Bone
5. Fruits and vegetables

You might be surprised that hot dogs didn’t even make the top 10 list (though it was #11). It is unclear why, but certainly of influence is the number of advertisements touting the dangers of round foods such as hot dogs and grapes.

Understandably, the top 3 choking foods differed depending on age.

For babies under a year:

1. Formula/milk/breast milk (greatest danger age was 4 months)
2. Fruits/vegetables
3. Biscuits/cookies/crackers

For children 1-2 years:

1. Fruits/vegetables
2. Seeds/nuts/shells
3. Other candy (not hard candy)

Children under 2 don’t have the molars to really grind stuff down even though they can bite a chunk off. Thus, it’s really important only to give them small pieces of soft foods.

For the 2, 3 and 4-year-olds:

1. Hard candy
2. Other candy
3. Meat or bone

At these ages, kids have the teeth to grind–but are still novices about how to chew and swallow effectively and safely.

Choking Preventions for All Kids

• Continually remind your children to chew their food well.
• Oversee all your children’s meals (great excuse for bonding time).
• Make it a priority for your kids to sit down when they eat.
• NEVER allow children to run, play or lie down with food in their mouths

Other Choking Statistics

Over 90% of deaths from foreign object occur in children younger than 5 years old; 65% of them are infants! (AHA)

In 2000, 160 children ages 14 years or younger died from an obstruction of the respiratory tract due to inhaled or ingested foreign bodies. Of these, 41% were caused by food items and 59% by nonfood objects (CDC).

For every choking-related death, there are more than 100 visits to U.S. emergency departments. In 2001, an estimated 17,537 children 14 years or younger were treated in U.S. emergency departments for choking episodes. (CDC)

Coins were involved in 18% of all choking-related emergency department visits for children ages 1 to 4 years. (CDC)

In 2001, 10.5% of children treated in the emergency department for choking episodes were admitted to the hospital or transferred to a facility with a higher level of care. (CDC)

At All About Women, we care about not just you—but also your children!

Take special precaution with your kids to ensure they don’t require an emergency room visit from choking. While not too common, the unthinkable does happen from time to time.