baby being fed malteasers

[Lottie2611]

Just witnessed a mum putting malteasers in her daughters mouth (about 6 months old). Would you give your baby malteasers? My friend seemed to think it wasn't that dangerous as long as the mum was supervising....

Not your business really but no I wouldn't as they are a choking hazard

I wouldn't put a round, smooth malteser in the mouth of a baby because of the choking risk even if I was sat right next to them.

If you did give them it would be safer to bite it in half as they are a choking risk otherwise

No it's not my business. Which is why Id never tell a stranger.... Or even a friend... Not to do it.
Was just cringing inside seeing it. Imagine one gets lodged in a baby's throat

No, no, no! Tell her to Google the story about the young child (about 5?) who died after choking on a Grape. It was just the right size to completely block the airway and it couldn't be dislodged despite frantic attempts to resuscitate her. A malteser for a baby if anything is higher risk.

I wouldn't, I still feel on edge when my almost 3yo has them
I'm not a fan of giving small children unhealthy foods also so wouldn't for that reason alone never mind the choking hazard but that is just my opinion and other people feel differently!

"Not your business really"

A child at risk is everybody's business.

If you saw it happen again OP I would try to explain the danger in a friendly, not overbearing, iyswim, way. Although why anybody would even think to give a baby something like that to eat is beyond me, so you might find it difficult to get the mum to see your point.

Eek, no, definite choking hazard as well as not very healthy. Ive got an 18 month old and it hasn't (and wouldn't) be a thing that I'd think to feed her now, let alone at 6 months!

*"Not your business really"

A child at risk is everybodys business*

See I was like that. If someone fed their child laid down and in a nice way said I'd be a bit careful as its a choking risk. I got such a mouthful of abuse back and finishing with "besides he's not completely laid down and I know how to look after my baby thank you!" That I keep my gob shut now

Do please go and tell her and report back.

Huge choking risk.

I suspect anyone dim enough to give a 6 month old malteasers is likely to give you a gobfull of abuse if you say something but I don't think I could pass that by - probably have told her to bite them in half first

Oh, I get where you're coming from NACNN. I think I would still feel the need to say something even if I did risk getting abuse back. It's difficult though, and I can understand why people may prefer to MTOB.

Oh god I would be so on edge watching someone do this!
I suspect you will get a mouthful of abuse for saying something ...

Even if u hadnt have got abuse, she would have thought I was crazy. Because surely she sees no harm in it?

Most six months old barely have two teeth

I think I would be watching constantly and be ready to jump up to help if needed.

Obviously even a single child death is one too many but the risk of death from choking is actually very low: less than 1 in 100,000 in the 1-4 year old age group and that will include children with congenital diseases that put them at higher risk. For children without higher risk conditions, the risk is probably 1 in a million.

Shiny that's because most parents aren't daft enough to give a baby maltesers!

I had malteasers the other day and I ate them secretly so my 2 yo didn't ask for one! Definitely a choking hazard although if she had of spotted them I would have bitten in half and let her try it. She had magic stars instead

Thinking about it I'm not even sure magic stars are any better from a choking point of view. ..might stick with buttons in future. Not sure, this has got me thinking now!

Shiny - interesting stats but would they include situations like this where people are actually dumb enough to give a 6 month old baby completely unsuitable food?

I wouldn't do it because it's a pointless thing to feed a baby and the obvious risk of choking.
Would I say anything? Probably not.

Some people like to show off with "ooooooh look what my amazing baby can eat!" Like their kid is the first to eat food, and some people are just plain stupid.

I went out for dinner with a group of friends last week.
One woman there who I don't know very well ordered 2 courses off a children's menu for her five month old. TWO COURSES! It was clearly about showing off, though she did look very embarrassed when she only had a couple of bites and mushed the rest up in her hands.
I was a bit when the ice cream sundae complete with smarties came out.

One woman there who I don't know very well ordered 2 courses off a children's menu for her five month old. TWO

I ordered my just turned one year a chicken nugget meal from morrisons even though I knew he would probably only have a couple of bites....because it was free! Two adult paying meals gets two free children meals.

However that mum is pretty showy

If you bite a malteser in half, the biscuity bit sort of dissolves on your tongue. I'm confident that a baby who eats solid foods regularly, is used to chewing and who is sitting up properly would be ok eating a few maltesers. The gag reflex would kick in probably, and he's no more likely to choke eating a malteser than any other food in big chunks. That being said, I'd still never waste perfectly good chocolate on the children.

Yeah chopped in half would make it a lot better. But these were just taken out of the bAg and popped in the baby's mouth

Ooh this reminds me of when me and a friend looked after another friend's baby for a few hours while she went shopping (we were all teenagers). We gave the baby (also about 6mo) a malteser and smiled indulgently as he obviously loved it. Then about 2 seconds later we had a mad panic as the choking risk occurred to us, and then spent several minutes trying to hoik the slobbery malteser out of very pissed off baby's mouth.

But actually it's probably not the worst choking risk as they dissolve quite quickly. I wouldn't do it though. In this situation if I want to say something I kind of go "Wow will she be OK with that, I'm sure mine would have choked at that age!" If it really hasn't occurred to them, it lets them know without actually quite saying "you're a shit parent" IYSWIM.