Pediatricians call for a choke-proof hot dog

[Ralph Wiggum]

LINK

Nutritionists have long warned of the perils of hot dogs: fat, sodium and preservatives to name a few.

Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics wants foods like hot dogs to come with a warning label — not because of their nutritional risks but because they pose a choking hazard to babies and children.

Better yet, the academy would like to see foods such as hot dogs "redesigned" so their size, shape and texture make them less likely to lodge in a youngster's throat. More than 10,000 children under 14 go to the emergency room each year after choking on food, and up to 77 die, says the new policy statement, published online today in Pediatrics. About 17% of food-related asphyxiations are caused by hot dogs.

"If you were to take the best engineers in the world and try to design the perfect plug for a child's airway, it would be a hot dog," says statement author Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. "I'm a pediatric emergency doctor, and to try to get them out once they're wedged in, it's almost impossible."

The Consumer Product Safety Commission requires labels on toys with small parts alerting people not to give them to kids under 3. Yet there are no required warnings on food, though more than half of non-fatal choking episodes involve food, Smith says.

"No parents can watch all of their kids 100% of the time," Smith says. "The best way to protect kids is to design these risks out of existence."

Though Smith says he doesn't know exactly how someone would redesign a hot dog, he's certain that some savvy inventor will find a way.

[Toastedturningtidelegs]

LINK

Nutritionists have long warned of the perils of hot dogs: fat, sodium and preservatives to name a few.

Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics wants foods like hot dogs to come with a warning label — not because of their nutritional risks but because they pose a choking hazard to babies and children.

Better yet, the academy would like to see foods such as hot dogs "redesigned" so their size, shape and texture make them less likely to lodge in a youngster's throat. More than 10,000 children under 14 go to the emergency room each year after choking on food, and up to 77 die, says the new policy statement, published online today in Pediatrics. About 17% of food-related asphyxiations are caused by hot dogs.

"If you were to take the best engineers in the world and try to design the perfect plug for a child's airway, it would be a hot dog," says statement author Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. "I'm a pediatric emergency doctor, and to try to get them out once they're wedged in, it's almost impossible."

The Consumer Product Safety Commission requires labels on toys with small parts alerting people not to give them to kids under 3. Yet there are no required warnings on food, though more than half of non-fatal choking episodes involve food, Smith says.

"No parents can watch all of their kids 100% of the time," Smith says. "The best way to protect kids is to design these risks out of existence."

Though Smith says he doesn't know exactly how someone would redesign a hot dog, he's certain that some savvy inventor will find a way.

Am i missing something here? I have 3 children who always ate hotdogs when they were little.....The ex and I pretty much just cut the hotdog into tiny pieces so that wouldn"t happen! Jesus people are lazy!

[Ralph Wiggum]

I always figured that some people would probably want them banned for being phallic.

[debk]

Am i missing something here? I have 3 children who always ate hotdogs when they were little.....The ex and I pretty much just cut the hotdog into tiny pieces so that wouldn"t happen! Jesus people are lazy!

I saw the same thing on Fox this morning.....

All beef hot dogs were among the first "people" food my kids ate. (Baby food is not people food - it is tasteless mooosh not fit for eating beyond 12 months of age)

I always cut them up into slices then each slice into quarters and changed it as needed until they were old enough to eat it in a bun. If they ate a hotdog without a bun...it was still sliced into small chunks and eaten with a fork.

Common sense and table manners.

Novel concept.....

[Eupher]

More spoonfeeding (no pun intended) for the masses.

Personal responsibility is an archaic thing of the past. We have to protect children from hot dogs now. 

[Chris]

Are children so lazy today they refuse to chew?

[Chris]

All beef hot dogs were among the first "people" food my kids ate. (Baby food is not people food - it is tasteless mooosh not fit for eating beyond 12 months of age)

Table manners are an opressive relic of  ancient patriachal societies and must be cast off. </DUmmy>

I got stuck eating pureed food after surgery once.  It wasn't just regular pureed food, it was pureed hospital food.  Even worse.

[debk]

Table manners are an opressive relic of  ancient patriachal societies and must be cast off. </DUmmy>

I got stuck eating pureed food after surgery once.  It wasn't just regular pureed food, it was pureed hospital food.  Even worse.

Yeah...they (the nurses) tried that stuff on me after my jaw was broken. Nope...wouldn't eat it. Lived on eggnog, milkshakes, cream soups, and mashed potatoes for 8 weeks. Gained back about 5lb of the 20+ that I lost.

[Hawkgirl]

I don't think I ate hotdogs as a toddler.  But I sure loved them as a kid.  My almost 8 month old is eating pastina in broths and also 1 tsp of tomato sauce.  I usually try to puree fruits for her....still give her the organic stage 2 baby food for her meats and vegetables.  But I do smash up potatoes and carrots for her.

I had no idea hotdogs were a choke hazard...I guess we'll skip them when she moves on the big people food.  Her pediatritian said she should be eating table food by her 9 month old appt. 

[debk]

I don't think I ate hotdogs as a toddler.  But I sure loved them as a kid.  My almost 8 month old is eating pastina in broths and also 1 tsp of tomato sauce.  I usually try to puree fruits for her....still give her the organic stage 2 baby food for her meats and vegetables.  But I do smash up potatoes and carrots for her.

I had no idea hotdogs were a choke hazard...I guess we'll skip them when she moves on the big people food.  Her pediatritian said she should be eating table food by her 9 month old appt. 

When mine were little....I would boil skinny all beef hotdogs in water....let them cool enough that I wouldn't burn my fingers...then cut them in very very thin slices and quarter each slice. As little as your munchkin is...she will only eat maybe a half of a hot dog.

Macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes with butter and cinnamon, applesauce, cheerios were among the "firsts" for my kids.

[SilverOrchid]

People really need to be told common sense on how to feed their kids? I still cut tiny pieces for my almost 3 year old and watch her because she eats way too fast. Lucky, she enjoys healthy foods and cookies are a huge treat.

[Hawkgirl]

When mine were little....I would boil skinny all beef hotdogs in water....let them cool enough that I wouldn't burn my fingers...then cut them in very very thin slices and quarter each slice. As little as your munchkin is...she will only eat maybe a half of a hot dog.

Macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes with butter and cinnamon, applesauce, cheerios were among the "firsts" for my kids.

How soon can they eat cheerios....mine has her 2 bottom teeth only, so far.

[thundley4]

There was some nut on Fox this morning that was saying even up age 14, kids were in danger of choking on hot dogs. WTF? 

[rich_t]

How soon can they eat cheerios....mine has her 2 bottom teeth only, so far.

She should be ok with cheerios at 8 months, just give her one at a time and she can gum them to death.  Just do what all repsonsible parents should do.  Keep an eye on her when she is eating.

When they are little, but old enough for people food, just cut up the hotdogs as previously mentioned.

[rich_t]

I'm a pediatric emergency doctor, and to try to get them out once they're wedged in, it's almost impossible."

Then you must be one inept doctor.

[DixieBelle]

I have only eaten a hot dog once in my entire life. I spit it right back out. My mom never made me after that.

My guys love hot dogs but they always cook them when I'm not home because I can't stand the smell.

[DefiantSix]

When mine were little....I would boil skinny all beef hotdogs in water....let them cool enough that I wouldn't burn my fingers...then cut them in very very thin slices and quarter each slice. As little as your munchkin is...she will only eat maybe a half of a hot dog.

Macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes with butter and cinnamon, applesauce, cheerios were among the "firsts" for my kids.

My boy's first "people food" was smashed taters for his first Thanksgiving supper.  6-months old and he reaches over to my plate grabs a fist full of my potatoes and stuffs 'em in his mouth before I had a chance to object.  After that, you couldn't interest him in rice cereal - what his mom was feeding him from the other side of the table - even if it was the only food in the house.  6 months later my poor wife had to deal with the fact that he would no longer breast feed.  At all.  If it didn't come on a plate, bowl or in a (sippy) cup like everybody else's food, he wasn't interested.

[AllosaursRus]

Yeah...they (the nurses) tried that stuff on me after my jaw was broken. Nope...wouldn't eat it. Lived on eggnog, milkshakes, cream soups, and mashed potatoes for 8 weeks. Gained back about 5lb of the 20+ that I lost.

Been there done that! Hell, they make all these meals in a can now. When it happened to me, I was eating out of a blender and a straw. had all my upper teeth pulled about 10 years ago and my dentist convinced me to go 6 mo without teeth so he could make a good fit. Slim Fast is just not my idea of a meal!

[AllosaursRus]

I have only eaten a hot dog once in my entire life. I spit it right back out. My mom never made me after that.

My guys love hot dogs but they always cook them when I'm not home because I can't stand the smell.

Now that's just downright un-American! I could live on Ball Parks, Haley's canned chili, and Tillamook cheese!