Why sausages should come with a choking hazard warning
Juliet Blank
Associate EditorBy now most parents know about the importance of slicing grapes for their little ones but sausages are just as vital to cut up correctly. Here's what to know and how to do it.
You wouldn't dream of giving your toddler a bowl of whole grapes – by now, most parents know the two-second rule that could save a life.
According to the Child Accident Prevention Trust, 'the size and shape of grapes means they can completely plug a child’s airway. And the tight seal produced by the grape’s smooth surface makes them difficult to dislodge with standard first aid techniques.'
But a petition is now going round to make sure parents know about the dangers of sausages, which are just as much of a choking hazard, if not more.
According to Dr Jamie Cooper, an emergency department consultant in Aberdeen, grapes are the third most common cause of food-related fatal choking episodes, after hotdogs (sausages) and sweets.
Their smooth, cylindrical shape is also just the right shape to plug a child's small airway, blocking it completely.
Tragically, last year, they claimed the life of a two-year-old girl, who choked on them at her nursery in Hertfordshire.
Friends and family members instantly launched a petition to make people aware of the dangers and also called on the local council to ban sausages and grapes from all nursery settings. Some local schools have already withdrawn sausages from their menus.
The petition's description read:
'This is a petition we never thought we'd be writing.
'Tragically on the 14th November 2020, [Our] best friend's daughter lost her life after choking on a piece of sausage whilst having her lunch at nursery.
'She was just 2 years old. Our friends have lost their baby. Our baby has lost his friend. Two young boys have lost their little sister.
'We are fully aware that accidents happen but things can also be put in place to prevent these accidents occurring.
'Sausages are renowned for their awkward shape and tough skin, thus making it extra challenging for small children to chew. Grapes fall into the same category.
'We are appealing to get sausages and grapes banned from all nursery settings ASAP so no other family has to go through the devastation and heartbreak that so many people have felt this weekend.'
Sausages - safe, or not?
Clearly any food that claims a toddler or child's life should come with a hefty and unmissable choking hazard warning.
Parents should be well-informed about the risks and how to minimise them before choosing whether to give them to their child – and whether to allow a childcare setting to do so as well.
Interestingly, as we write this, there's no actual official or firm guidance about how to serve sausages to children and we have contacted the Royal College of Child Health & Paediatrics for a comment (watch this space).
The NHS merely says avoid serving sausages to children because of their high salt content and CAPT says 'Cut hard food like carrots, apples, sausages and cheese into thin strips, and chop nuts up small.'
However, cutting sausages (and grapes) across, horizontally, is still not good enough and many parents don't realise this.
They HAVE to be sliced lengthways in order to reduce the risk of choking.
That's according to, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), who back in 2010 noted that hot dogs posed the greatest choking risk in kids causing more choking deaths than any other food.
'If you were to design the perfect plug for a child’s airway, you couldn’t do much better than a hot dog,” said Dr Gary Smith, a professor of pediatrics, in an AAP news release at the time.
'It will wedge itself in tightly and completely block the airway, causing the child to die within minutes because of lack of oxygen,' he said.
Here's the US advice that we could ALL do with knowing and following:
- Cut hot dogs length-wise, as well as width-wise – do the same with grapes, while you’re at it
- Why? Because this will change the shape so it’s less likely to get stuck in a child's throat
- No kid under the age of four should eat a hot dog (sausage) unless it's been cut into very small pieces
- Kids over 4 may still need food cutting up – experts say there isn’t a 'magic' number as 'anything can be a choking hazard'
- For older kids who want to eat their hot dogs like a grown up, try slicing the hot dog length-wise before putting it in the bun to reduce the choking hazard
- Teach kids of all ages to take small bites and chew what’s in their mouths.
US paediatrician, Dr. Tanya Altmann, says once kids reach the age of four, they're 'a little more aware, their throats are a little bit bigger and they are able to handle things that need to be chewed a little more before they swallow them.'
But as above, use your judgment with your child and continue slicing food until they're older – there's no harm and it could save a life.
Having a first aid manual at home is a must to help cope with emergency situations. This first aid manual is endorsed by St John's Ambulance and the British Red Cross. See more details here at Amazon.
Are you careful with your child's food at mealtimes or has this made you rethink how you serve it? Do you always slice sausages and grapes correctly? Tell us in the chat thread below ...
Related stories
CHAT: 'Do you know to slice your child's sausages correctly?'
Two-second rule for cutting grapes
