Recently the doctors in Scotland revealed a rather obvious but surprisingly neglected fact, that children under five years old should be given food after cutting it into tiny, easily chewable pieces. Fruits, hotdogs and other eatables can be very dangerous for little children if not ingested in appropriate sizes.
Children can choke on these foods, the Scottish doctors suggested. Although the message is very clear and apparently widely-understood, it is shocking that so many parents ignore this warning and do not cut down grapefruits, tomatoes, candies and hot dogs into small pieces to make it easier for their little ones to eat them. Hence, it is extremely important to spread this message instead of disregarding it as unnecessary.
As CBC explains, the severity of the situation can be determined by the high number of cases in the United States each year, in which children are rushed to the hospital after they choke up on large-sized fruits and eatables. Suction, CPR and patting a child's back repeatedly may help under these circumstances.
Many times in such cases, the choking even led to the children's death. It is an immensely painful experience for the family, one that could be prevented simply by acting on this small advice. Many cases have been reported of children choking and then dying subsequently and it is essential for the parents to watch over their children while they are eating, according to Health Medicine Network.
Keeping a check on kids' eating habits and having knowledge of the basic first aid drills can largely help prevent such distressing situations. Other safety precautions suggested include labeling the food which can potentially cause choking as a 'choking hazard.' This will help alert the parents to feed it to their children in appropriate sizes and shapes. Medical centers have also given out warnings against particular types of food which are hard to remove if they cause choking.
