How To Prevent Your Baby Choking When They Start Solids

Preventing choking by taking care of the foods you give baby

Take care - avoid giving your baby small hard foods or whole foods. You can offer soft cooked whole foods or soft fruit in a mesh bag if you want to.

Why babies can choke on food quite easily

• they have small air and food passages
• they're still learning to move food around in their mouths
• their biting, chewing and food-grinding skills are still developing

To reduce the risk of baby choking on food

• always make sure babies are sitting while they eat, and that someone is with them while they are eating or drinking
• offer food that matches their chewing and grinding abilities
• be aware of foods which are more likely to cause choking

See the KidsHealth video and checklist for preventing your baby from choking

See the KidsHealth video and messages about keeping baby safe when eating solid foods

Learning choking first aid and CPR

See the KidsHealth page on what to do if your baby chokes

See the KidsHealth page on how to do CPR