From the Guidelines
Yes, a whole blueberry can be a choking hazard, especially for children under 5 years of age.
Choking Hazards in Children
- The American Heart Association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care 1 highlight that foods, such as grapes, are common causes of foreign-body airway obstruction (FBAO) in children.
- Similarly, whole nuts should not be given to children under 5 years of age due to choking risks, as stated in the addendum guidelines for the prevention of peanut allergy in the United States 1.
Risk Factors
- Children under 5 years of age are at a higher risk of choking on whole foods like blueberries, with more than 90% of childhood deaths from foreign-body aspiration occurring in this age group 1.
- The shape and size of blueberries, similar to grapes, make them a potential choking hazard for young children.
Prevention
- It is essential to supervise children while they are eating and to cut foods like blueberries into smaller, manageable pieces to reduce the risk of choking.
From the Research
Choking Hazards in Children
- Choking is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among children, especially those aged 3 years or younger 2
- Food, coins, and toys are the primary causes of choking-related injury and death 2
- Certain characteristics, including shape, size, and consistency, of certain toys and foods increase their potential to cause choking among children 2
Specific Foods as Choking Hazards
- Grapes are ideally suited to cause pediatric airway obstruction and are a known choking hazard 3
- Other foods, such as nuts and pieces of meat, can also cause choking in children 4
- There is no specific mention of whole blueberries as a choking hazard in the provided studies, but it is possible that they could pose a risk due to their size and shape
Prevention and Intervention Strategies
- Parents and caregivers should be aware of the types of foods and objects that pose a choking risk for children and take steps to reduce this risk 5, 2
- Food manufacturers should design new foods and redesign existing foods to avoid shapes, sizes, textures, and other characteristics that increase choking risk to children 2
- Healthcare providers should provide choking-prevention counseling to parents as an integral part of anticipatory guidance activities 2