Preventing choking

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• Anything smaller than a D-size battery (and larger than a pea) is a choking risk for babies and toddlers.
• Children who are running are more likely to choke, so encourage them to sit while eating.
• Supervise children while they're eating, and keep food pieces small until your child chews well.

What are choking risks?

Any small object can be a choking risk. The following things should be kept away from babies and toddlers:

• lollies
• raw apples
• pieces of meat (including chicken and fish)
• nuts
• raw carrots
• uncooked peas
• seeds (including popcorn kernels)
• grapes
• fruit pips and stones
• hot dogs and sausages (remove skin and cut them into small pieces)
• coins
• toy parts (including plastic shapes, marbles and the eyes of stuffed toys)
• balloons (uninflated or popped)
• pebbles
• tiny batteries
• jewellery
• the tops off pens and textas
• just about anything small

Tips for preventing choking

• Sit while eating – at a table or on the floor is fine. Children are more likely to choke if they eat while they are running around or playing. If you sit with children while they eat, and talk or otherwise entertain them, they'll be less tempted to get up and run around.
• Keep food pieces small – smaller than a pea until they chew well. Anything bigger than this is hard for little children to eat safely, as their airways are small and they are still learning to swallow.
• Cook, grate or mash hard foods – particularly hard fruit and vegetables such as carrots and apples.
• Avoid nuts. Children can usually eat these safely at around five years old, unless they have an allergy. Corn chips, lollies and grapes are also a choking risk.
• Try to keep small objects out of reach. Curiosity leads children to put unusual things into their mouths, and they can accidentally swallow things when they are playing. Check the floor for small objects by getting down to child-height and looking around.
• Use toys that are solid and sturdy, and avoid those with small parts, breakable parts or brittle surfaces. Check toys for loose screws and buttons and exposed stuffing. Keep an eye out for product-recall information in your local paper. Read more about dodgy toys on the CHOICE website.
• Keep toys for small children and older siblings in separate boxes. Encourage older siblings to keep their little toys (Lego, doll clothes, beads, car parts) out of reach.

Signs a child’s airway is blocked

• choking noises
• coughing
• gagging
• wheezing
• worsening cough
• asthma
• seizure
• stridor (shrill rattling sound)
• pneumonia
• sudden chest pain 

Are some children at higher risk?

Children with a disability or chronic illness may be at higher risk. Studies in Australia and overseas indicate that children are more likely to choke if they have a disability such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, or intellectual disabilities, or chronic asthma or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. If your child has one of these conditions, talk to your doctor about how best to avoid choking.

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