Easy to make with its crunchy texture, popcorn remains a favourite snack for most families but there may be some danger in it for your toddler according to experts.
The thought of developing a cough, getting popcorn pieces stuck in their teeth or catching a flu are among the mild concerns parents can have when giving a toddler popcorn.
Not many parents consider that toddlers may be prone to even more grave dangers from eating the easy snack, but when really can toddlers eat popcorn?
While it may seem like an innocent treat, there have been instances in which young children have died from choking on popcorn, so, yes, choking is a major hazard for toddlers while eating popcorn.
US paedetrician and hospital Executive, Dr Jarret patton in an interview mentioned popcorn, among foods like nuts, grapes and raw vegetables as foods that can be dangerous for children.
He said;
“All these foods should be delayed until they turn 4 years old
because their ability to chew
and swallow foods is better at that age.”
After your child turns 4, he says these foods become safer to eat. His opinion agrees very much with that of a mum-of-three, NicoleGoddard who recently warned other parents on the hazards of feeding toddlers popcorn using her own scary experience with her son.
Nicole had given her toddler, Nash some popcorn as the whole family enjoyed some, while watching a movie but nothing prepared her for the downward spiral of his health as a result.
Nash apparently choked on the popcorn, developed a cough and fever the following day; when it did not go away, he was taken to the hospital.
A chest X-ray revealed that he had choked on popcorn and had pieces lodged in his left lung. The body recognised it as a foreign object and put pus pockets around it, causing the kid to develop pneumonia in his left lung as a result of inflammation.
He was then scheduled for a first round of Bronchoscopy and a second one to remove the remnants of the popcorn. At the end of the ordeal, Nicole warned other parents to not give popcorn to their kids who are below the age of 5.
“We’re so thankful our little man came out ok.
All of this over popcorn which is eaten on a regular basis in our home.
I got a lecture of course on how popcorn isn’t supposed to be given to anyone under 5.
I hate to use the excuse he’s our third child so I overlook
and don’t pay as close attention to the do’s and don’ts as we did with our first.”
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), choking is the leading cause of injury in children, and children under the age of 4 experience the highest rate of food related choking.
There is no readily obtainable statistics in Nigeria at the time of writing this article to compare with US statistics that say every five days, one child in the United States will die from choking on some kind of food, and more than 12,000 children end up in hospital emergency rooms each year from food-choking related injuries.
There are many other snacks that are unsafe for your toddler but what snacks are then safe you may ask? Experts recommend fresh fruits that are thinly sliced, like bananas, apples, peaches, and pears.
For fruits like plums, grapes, or cherries, the AAP suggest ‘crushing’ them, so that they are safer to eat.
Another safe and healthy option is cooked and diced or mashed veggies like carrots, peas, potatoes, and vegetables.
