Choking Statistics:

*Every 5 days a children in the US dies from choking on food.
*Hot dogs are the #1 cause of food choking in children.
*Balloons kill more children than any other toy.

Things you can do to help prevent choking:

Have children sit upright when eating.

Do not give children inflated or deflated balloons.

Check to see if objects or food fit entirely in a "No-Choke Test Tube". (No-choke tubes can be found at stores that sell baby and toddler items.) You can also use a toilet paper roll. If an object fits into the roll it is too small to give to a child.

Foods that are round, hard, small, thick, slippery or smooth should not be fed to children under 4 years old.

Do not feed any of the following to children younger than four years of age:

hot dogs popcorn
nuts pretzels/chips
peanut butter chunks of meat
hard pieces of fruit hard pieces of vegetables
raisins whole grapes
hard candies marshmellows

See your pediatrician for more information about preventing choking in your child.