Choking risk, whole grapes for young children. When is it safe to not cut them up?

[Meglet]

My dc's are 3.7 and 22mo. If they have grapes I cut them in half as I was under the impression whole grapes are a choking risk?

But my step-mum gives them whole grapes, which made me a bit . Then one day she said she was giving them frozen whole grapes to cool them down in the hot weather and I was . She doesn't have her own kids BTW, she's generally quite sensible.

Am I being neurotic (me, never ) or are whole grapes better for when they are a little older, or at least until little DD is bigger.

Grapes are perfectly designed to choke young children, not just because of their size and shape but because when they become wet the skin becomes sticky so they are almost impossible to dislodge once they're in the windpipe.

I make my 4 and 6 yos bite them in half before they put them into their mouths, my 3yo has them torn in half.

A child in Bristol died after choking on a grape and a paed from BCH was quoted in the paper as saying whole grapes were his No.1 hazard for young children.

is true debka, cut the devils up

I cut grapes up for all my children and my dd is 10!! I would cut DHs grapes up if he let me. I am terrified of grapes. I am also scared of Maltezers. What are your thoughts on them?

It's NOT paranoia ....I thought I knew better, having had 3 DC,s, then allowed DC4 (aged 4) to pick at grape while I was on the phone. She nicked one with a tooth so that a flap of skin peeled back, then got it lodged....she spoke to me "I don't like it Mummy" then turned purple as speaking had taken the last air she had....I had no one around, live rurally, couldn't call 999 while dealing with her...panicked and forgot everything I had ever been told but forced her head down over my lap and hit her and hit her (causing bruising later) on the back until suddenly she retched and then coughed and the grape span out across the floor. Seemed like an eternity but was probably a couple of minutes. I was shaking so much and crying (as was DD) that I sat on the floor for about ten minutes before I could get to my feet and call anyone.

I realsied that I had come within a split second of losing something so precious that if I had lost her my world would have ended, and all because I wasn't paying attention to her grazing on grapes.

When I did my paediatric first aid course, we were told that the biggest killer of pre-school children was choking on a grape. It was recommended that they should be cut up until the age of 6.

I cut them up for dd2 aged three,and I watch Dd1 aged five and remind her to bite each one ,or I cut hers up too.I quarter them.My dd came close to choking on a largeish piece of mango,it was so slippery ot just slipped down but luckily was soft enough for her to manage to swallow it.Very frightening.

If your stepmum wants to freeze something, frozen banana is nice.

Now crying with fear and relief that nothing has happened to DD already (also pg so rather emotional!)- WILL CUT ALL GRAPES. Thank you!!

bless you deb

good luck with the pg

This is why I don't buy grapes! That and the fact that they are poisonous to dogs and if they didn't kill DD they would probably kill the dog.

I have ridiculous grape anxiety!

OMG you are supposed to cut grapes up! ? Never heard of this but now think I might have to. Although my 13 month has been happily eating them for a few months now...

Frozen frubes are nice too.

You must. Honestly it is the one choking risk that my paediatrician friends take incredibly seriously.

It is not just the size and shape but the skin. A whole grape can be very difficult to get back up again as has been said before. As such, the length of time it takes to extract can be the difference between a nasty shock and brain damage or death.

Don't want to scare monger but this is the one thing I am incredibly careful about and as isaid, have trained ds to refuse whole grapes!

You'd think I know that seeing as I have three DC!

Useful thread although scary. I had just started trusting DD (3) to eat whole grapes provided she was sitting down and using her biting teeth first (and showing me). I've just done a quick trawl through the kitchen and cut up all the grapes.

I guess cherry tomatoes and cherries generally should be halved for as long - or are they not so much of a problem?

I still cut for DD's aged 2 and 4, and BIL cuts them up for his DS's who are 6 and 9 (he is a paramedic) they actually don't have grapes in teh house and only eat them when at ours.
I get veyr cross with my MIL who likes to leave a plate of grapes and peanuts lying on the table and just pulled faces at me until he bollocked her.

I still cut them up for my nearly 13 and 11 year olds . It's a habit I really must get out of, but can't quite bring myself to stop.

are they poisonous to dogs? Gor blimey! my old dog used to love them and ate them whenever he got a chance,he would steal them from the fruit bowl.What do they do to dogs?

I was 24 when I chocked on a grape - absolutely terrifying experience. So, to answer your question, never...

OMG I am really scared now - grapes have been an easy snack but have been totally put off buying them reading some of the sad stories on here. Does the same apply to anything round and with skins like cherry tomatoes?

i think grape skins are different

i still cut cherry tomatoes and will for a while

Although I see this thread is officially dead, I think is worth reviving as my 2 year old is in hospital from choking on a seedless grape at the weekend. I knew the hazard of regular grapes and always served them cut, but for some daft (and almost fatal) reason the danger posed by these little seedless jobs didn't register. My wife and I were both in the same room as him and all my attempts to remove it failed so we dashed to the local hospital where the staff in the ER got it out and revived him with CPR. Possibly the worst three hours of our lives.
He's still very ill in the ICU and I thought another reminder to all parents about choking dangers wouldn't go amiss.

Thanks for the reminder OldDad

We always used to cut up DS's grapes (he's 3.5) but had stopped recently. I will be going back to cutting them up again from tomorrow.

I still cut up grapes for my DD'S (almost 6 and 4). On a first aid course, we were advised to cut them longways as this is safer.

Olddad - so sorry to hear about your DS - hope he makes a quick full recovery.

I have always been paranoid about choking and probably go over the top. I cut up DD's grapes (and cherry tomatoes), until she was about 6. I avoid giving her grapes if she has packed lunch at school as I worry that she might muck around with her friends and not chew them properly. DS doesn't like grapes so not an issue for him.