DR. GARY SMITH AUTHORS A POLICY STATEMENT ON CHOKING FOR THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS

The new AAP policy statement on choking calls attention to the need for laws, regulations and surveillance systems to monitor foods that pose a high risk of choking in young children. Many foods that are thought to be “kid friendly” are actually dangerous, and very few food manufacturers currently place warning labels on these foods. “If you were to design the perfect plug for a child’s airway, you couldn’t do much better than a hot dog,” said Gary Smith MD, DrPH, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy and professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. To prevent choking, parents and caregivers should cut food into small, non-round pieces before giving it to a child younger than 4.

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