Most Common Things your Baby can Choke on

Babies and kids put EVERYTHING in their mouth. As a parent, you likely will say, “Get that out of your mouth” about a million times. But, aside from the gross and dirty aspects of gnawing on random things, there are some serious choking hazards to look out for.

Foods

You’re probably aware that hotdogs, oranges, grapes, and french fries could be a problem, but did you think about marshmallows, peanut butter, and popcorn were also listed as some of the most common choking hazards by the American Academy of Pediatrics? For the items listed above and anything else that you might be concerned about, take a little extra time to cut these into half-inch pieces. And, when eating time arrives, make sure they are fully focused on eating, sitting in an upright position, and try to get them to sit still (good luck with that!).

Toys

While there are lots of laws and regulations in place to help keep toys safe for babies and children, it’s important to pay attention to the age limit recommendations and warning labels which can help to identify potential problems.  If the pieces are small enough to fit in your child’s mouth, they’re small enough to choke on. P.S. Pet toys look an awful lot like kid’s toys, but they follow none of the guidelines. As you can imagine, these colorful, noisy, and fun toys could be quite dangerous.

Household Items –

Latex balloons can be so much fun, but they’re also problematic for small children. Other common problematic items include: coins, marbles, pen/marker caps, button batteries, hair barrettes and pins. Every so often, embrace your inner child and crawl around. You may spot dangerous items that you wouldn’t normally see from your height.