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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 pēpi (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

Checklist For Preventing Your Baby From Choking

Keeping Baby Safe When They Are Eating Solid Foods

Learning choking first aid and CPR

What To Do If Your Baby Chokes

Emergencies - CPR

More information on starting solids

Starting Solids

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