More safety advice, food for young children

Here is a tragic story about a 2 year old who choked to death on apple pieces:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=506156&in_page_id=1770

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The parents are understandably distraught and torn in pain. The only good thing that comes out of such accidents is a chance to learn and spare others.

Small children should never be given hard pieces of food that are "throat" size. Remember two things. One is that a child has a very small throat (we've all heard the publicity about bits of toys that are swallowed and often stuck in their tiny throats). But here is what the father here and other parents forget. Small children do not have adult teeth and the ability to chew to a pulp the food they do consume. So even cutting the apple into small bits is not sufficient, at that age it must be mashed, like applesauce would be.

That's why I always gasp when I see a little child in a fast food place being given a "bite size" piece of food like hot dogs. Some years ago there were many warnings that hot dogs should not be given to children under an age of like four or something like that due to, as I pointed out, they are the "ideal choking" size AND children cannot chew their food to pulp the way adults can (and take for granted).

Prayers for these poor mourning parents and family.