Pediatricians have been warning parents of toddlers about the choking hazards of hot dogs for quite a few years.

A hot dog is about the same size as a toddler’s esophagus. No one, until now, has called for the redesign of the hot dog to make it safer.

Given the data on choking, any item which raises choke risks needs to be redesigned, adapted or gone, says the American Academy of Pediatrics in a policy statement.

This new statement calls attention to a broad list of toys and food which can cause choking, the leading cause of death among children under the age of 3 years old, says this NPR story.

What Can You Do?

• If you have a child under age 3, talk to your pediatrician. Also ask for reliable sources of information about this risk.
• Survey your home for choke-prone foods or toys. If you think about the size of your child’s small esophagus, it should be possible for you to spot problems and correct or remove them.
• A young mother we know takes hot dogs and cuts them into long, thin slices. Same shape. Fills a bun. No tears about having to give one up. However, in light of new stats, ask your doctor about this.

NPR

“In a policy statement issued today in Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention calls on the Food and Drug Administration and Consumer Product Safety Commission to tighten supervision over food and toys that may pose a hazard.

“The paper warned that choking is a leading cause of death among children, especially those under 3 years old. The high risk comes from a combination of factors; not only do young children tend to put everything in their mouths, but their windpipe is about the same diameter as a drinking straw, according to the New York State Department of Health.

“Among the new recommendations: making sure toys are safe and enforcing recalls of those that aren’t, redesigning foods to avoid shapes and textures that make it easy to choke, and adding appropriate choking hazard warnings to both. According to the committee, latex balloons, coins, candies, and hot dogs pose the some of the biggest threats.” (Emphasis added)

Source: NPR, February 22, 2010

Citation: PEDIATRICS, Published online February 22, 2010, (doi:10.1542/peds.2009-2862). Full, free text.