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Update: Week of February 22

This Week’s Hot Topic:
It’s snowing and raining and disgusting out in New York City today. I was going to take Eva for her passport photos but I think I’ve already tested and defined the boundaries of my maternal stupidity. My husband is “stuck” at a business meeting on a warm and sunny island and I’m sitting here in the snow, desperate for some sunshine and craving a good old fashioned barbeque. With hotdogs and hamburgers. Wait! Did I say hotdogs? Has anyone seen the news this week? The old-fashioned American hotdog is under attack!

The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement this week on choking prevention, which includes a recommendation for the government to oversee food choking hazards. After all, they regulate non-food choking hazards such as toys and games, so why not food? The AAP also issued a request to the food industry for the redesign of foods that pose an exceptionally high choking risk for children. Among the worst offenders? Hotdogs top the list, followed by hard candies, popcorn, nuts, peanut butter, and anything hard, sticky or chewy. In other words, your toddler can bite but not chew, so carrot sticks, chunks of apple or hunks of cheese are all risky items. Now I completely understand the AAP’s position from one standpoint: if we label non-food items and have a system in place to quickly identify newly-emerging hazards, why don’t we do the same for edibles? It’s a bit ridiculous that a marble comes with a big warning label on it but a gumball is marketed towards children. A few years back, it was found that a particular chewy gel candy was responsible for several choking deaths in children but it took much longer to link the cases and have the product pulled from store shelves than it would have if the offending item had been, say, a mascara wand. Wouldn’t it make more sense to label the things that people actually intend to put in their kid’s mouth?

On the other hand, where do we draw the line? There is no piece of solid food that I can think of that a little one couldn’t at least partially choke on. If we label the most offensive choking risks (such as the hotdog which is the perfect size and shape to completely plug the airway and is nearly impossible to get back out before it’s too late), are we going to make parents complacent about other food items that may not be quite as risky but can still pose a hazard? Or should we slap a sign on door of your local Safeway declaring the entire place to be a danger zone? I really don’t know the answer to this but I am going to use this forum to remind you of the most dangerous choking risks in your kitchen and beseech you to take extra care when feeding your kiddo. Hotdogs should be sliced lengthwise and into small pieces. Grapes get cut in half or quarters. Anything that can’t be mushed with a little tongue shouldn’t be bigger than mini-bite-size. Things that are sticky or gummy can clog up the throat. Don’t let kids run around when eating (which, is by the way, possibly one of the greatest choking threats!). Cookie Monster feedings and speed contests are not appropriate at the dinner table. Just use your brains.

So until the government decides whether it wants to get involved or until Oscar Mayer decides to redesign the dog (into what, exactly, I don’t know), use common sense. You wouldn’t give your kid a cold beer at a barbeque, so why give him a hotdog? Some foods are just not a good idea for a little one unless they are sliced, mushed, peeled, chopped, diced or blended. Don’t be afraid to keep kid-unfriendly food out of your child’s way. More for you that way.

Dr. Lara Zibners, Feb 25, 2010

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