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Finally! Your little one has levelled up from baby puree and mastered the art of the pincer grip. Like most excited parents, you’re probably very eager to let them try out many foods as possible, but please bear in mind that the LO has not fully understood the concept of chewing and swallowing.
We’re not here to scare you or make you super paranoid during meal times, but it’s worth to find out the most common choking hazards lurking in your pantry!
Small fruits like blueberries and grapes
Do you know your baby’s windpipe is only the size of a drinking straw? It’s a good idea to cut, crush or puree blueberries and other small fruits for them.
For smaller fruits like grapes and cherries, cut it in half and remove the seeds before offering it to baby.
Marshmallows
Don’t be fooled by the fluffiness. Thanks to its stickiness, a fluffy marshmallow will be difficult to dislodge if it gets stuck in baby’s throat.
Popcorn
Popcorn falls in to the hard foods category that shouldn’t be offered to baby until she can chew properly.
Cheese sticks and cubes
Due to its texture, cheese sticks and cubes can easily slip down baby’s throat before she can chew them properly. Try cutting it up into bite-sized pieces before giving it.
Gummies and sweets
Candies are brightly coloured and will attract baby’s attention. Try your best to keep it out of baby’s reach and inform your older children to not give it to baby. Even for those vitamin gummies, it usually comes with a recommended age – follow it!
Chunks of meat
If your baby is starting self-feeding, just slice, shred or dice the meat in his bowl. Even so, little one might still tend to choke on it if the meat is too tough or chewy, so be careful with this one!
Nuts
Being hard, small and round, they are very much a choking hazard to take note of.
Cherry tomato
While they can be a very nutritious snack, they can get caught in baby’s airway. Similar to the small fruits mentioned earlier, slice them length-ways.
Other than food, there are some household items to be careful of too!
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