Can a 3 year old eat popcorn? Ten unusual choking hazards

Popcorns were one of the most favored snacks that we simply loved in our childhood. The blend of softness and hardness in popcorns with a tinge of salt acted as the best snack during our time of relaxation or watching a movie without family members. Though served as the best snack, the popcorns have a significant risk in young eaters and toddlers. Many young ones are inattentive to their food because of their playfulness and attention to almost everything around them. They do not have the full knowledge of chewing it, which means giving them these kinds of snacks and food items can be a bit dangerous. Hard foods that are difficult to swallow without chewing can be a potential threat to 3-year-old kids.

To what extent it is safe for a toddler to eat popcorns

There is a certain age for everything and three years is not at all the age for having popcorn as a snack. Many popcorn packets come with a hazard symbol on them, which forbids serving the items to people under three years old. Choking problems may cause danger and even death because of difficulty in breathing if it gets in a grim position. Many cases have reported the severe conditions and even deaths of early eaters who have tried popcorn as their snack. Most of these cases have victims who are three years and below age. Pediatricians and doctors recommend a minimum age of 4 years and above to have popcorn as their snack. They have also urged to take necessary measures like staying beside the kid while eating, roaming around while having food, and others for the parents concerned for their children. Maintaining some precautions as prescribed by the doctors, your child and you can be safe from these unwanted troubles that may result in a severe mishap.

Unusual food items that cause choking for kids

Preventing the food items that may cause choking to your child, should be the best practice instead of taking risks. In many cases, we see that kids need to through risky medical processes at that age for returning to their everyday life. Not being aware of such consequences should be a disastrous choice for the parent. There are many kinds of other food items that can fulfill the nutritional requirements other than these items, or there are ways to serve these foods to the toddlers. Below mentioned are some basic food items that can cause choking problems to your child and may require caution before your child eats them.

1. Popcorns

Popcorns are one of the most common food items that can get can cause choking in the windpipes of toddlers. Many parents instruct their young ones to eat the soft part of the popcorn and throw away the hard part or the root of the food item. The popcorns are dry snacks and light too and due to that property, it gets caught into the children’s windpipe. If the popcorn pieces get into the lungs, it can cause infections and cause severe health problems to the young eaters.

2. Whole grapes

Whole grapes and other round-shaped fruits are also a significant hazard to children under a specific age limit. As their teeth formations are in a developing stage, they cannot chew the fruits properly and try to swallow them as a whole. It can also cause severe problems if they get stuck in the windpipe. The body cannot get enough oxygen and this may cause the heart to stop beating. The victim can die on the spot for a single grape. Cutting the grapes in quarter pieces before serving them should be a good practice.

3. Hard candies

Candies and sweet beans are the most favorite food items for the children. But the candies that are hard and difficult to chew can cause choking among children. Soft candies like jellies and lollipops should be the best option for the children to have. They may cause less harm as they become fluid as the mouth salivate; the toddlers cannot immediately swallow a whole lollipop. Hard candies are challenging to swallow before chewing for young ones and if they do it while taking in a breath, it may enter the lungs and cause severe chest pain or in some cases affect their breathing at all. Serving hard candies by making them half or quarters can be good practice for the toddlers to enjoy.

4. Whole nuts 

Nuts are very nutritious and tasty too for the development of a child. On the other hand, they are dangerous also for toddlers as the nuts are hard and cased inside coverings. Children often tend to have them as a whole and that can get them in some trouble. Swallowing the nut as a whole can cause the nut to get stuck in your windpipe which may cease the ability to breathe correctly. The body may turn purple and ultimately choke the kid to collapse.

5. Gum or sticky food

Chewing gums and sticky foods are often soft once they are chewed several times. Many children get confused about whether they are typical candies or chewing gum. Once exceeding a specific limit, the chewing gums become hard by taking in saliva from your mouth. As a result, if they swallow it instead of throwing it out, it may choke them by entering the windpipe. Inattentiveness may bring this danger to the individual without them even knowing.

6. Chunks of bread

Chunks of bread can also cause serious trouble to the early eaters as they are hard and it takes considerable jaw pressure to be ready for swallowing. A toddler devoid of this experience and knowledge may try to eat the bread without chewing correctly and end up choking themselves. Bread chunks may get stuck inside the trachea of the young one.

7. Seeds of food items 

We eat many food items every day, which contain seeds inside them. Whether that be vegetables or fruits, seeds are a severe threat to the young ones under three. We usually throw away seeds from the fruits and vegetables, filtering them in our mouths. A young one may find it a difficult task to perform and end up swallowing the whole. For that purpose, cutting them and making them seed-free before serving is necessary.

8. Round shaped chips

Cheetos and round-shaped snacks and chips are also vulnerable to young people who have just started eating solid foods. Round shaped chips are prone to get stuck in the trachea, leaving the victim unable to breathe correctly. Avoiding them should be a good measure for parents concerned about their health.

9. Raw vegetables like peas and beans

Many raw vegetables like peas, beans, and chunks of carrots and other vegetables can also cause severe problems if toddlers don’t chew them correctly. Applying them on dishes without making thin pieces of them can cause serious trouble to the young ones.

10. Chunks of baked cheese balls

Cheese balls and other hard dairy products can also bring danger to toddlers. They are always fond of chocolates. If they are hard enough, they can enter the windpipe causing trouble breathing and sometimes a complete collapse for the early eaters. We can frequently see reports showing severe conditions of victims due to these kinds of snacks. Parents should be well aware of these cases also.

Wrapping Up

Apart from food items, young ones often put things other than food in their mouth, like curved toys, coins, and paper. These materials can further deteriorate as they are non-digestible and cause serious problems. Making your kids aware of these consequences and teaching them to chew properly before swallowing is the best way to avoid such casualties. Taking proper care of the young ones by providing them with fine foods that can smoothly go through the digestive tract can help avoid choking.