When did start giving LO foods that are typically choking hazards?

dana316

Caroline chews her food really well.  She has all her teeth (except for her 2 year molars), and she is a good eater and never (knock on wood) gets choked.

At her 15 month visit, pedi said she could have anything she wanted, except for the the typical choking hazards like peanuts, etc.

I have given her half of a jelly bean, and she did fine.  Today, I gave her a bite of my roasted pecan, she did fine (and LOVED it). 

My DH bought a bunch of dried fruit, and wants to put it in her oatmeal...is that okay?  When can she start having things that are choking hazards to small kids?  Nuts, raisins, etc.

(Obviously, we still cut up grapes and break things into small pieces when needed)

TIA!

 

dusk42

I wouldn't worry so much about dried fruit in oatmeal because it's not a small little hard chunk - it'll be surrounded by oatmeal.  

 

I think smashing nuts into little pieces would be fine, or bake them in bread or whatever.  I wouldn't let DD just eat handfuls of peanuts because she's a nut and sometimes randomly starts talking or laughing while eating.  

 

I'll probably wait until she's much older to let her eat nuts, raisins, etc. that are not in other foods until she is 2.5-3.  But I'm paranoid. 

kittylove

I am a paranoid about choking, but Riley gets and has for about 9 months now loved dried mango slices. That said he still isn't allowed the little square papaya chuncks because I  worry about it, same goes for nuts and popcorn. I think 3 or 3.5 and I will let him have those things.

firsttogo

Linc is pretty good, and we let him eat just about anything. We still do not do nuts though, even with Nolan. 

cjsbdl

I give Henry nuts, but I chop them up into bite-sized pieces (I'm talking about walnuts, pecans, etc, he's never had peanuts).  I don't give him dried fruit or other "sticky" foods, but that's more because I don't like the way they stick in the teeth (promotes tooth decay). I don't have any plans to give him popcorn for quite a while, mostly because it's an inhalation hazard as well as a choking hazard.

There are still some foods (steak, etc) that I don't feed him because I feel like he doesn't chew well or thoroughly enough yet, but he's only had his one-year molars for a few weeks now. I tend to be pretty conservative in that I just don't give him foods I think he'll have trouble with...I figure he has his whole life to eat them, so I'm in no hurry!