Hot dogs are one of the highest choking hazards for children under 14. Something as simple as cutting a hot dog length wise could cure this problem. But according to Dr. Gary Smith of Nationwide Children’s Hospital that’s not enough.
On Monday, American Pediatricians said Hot dogs need to be redesigned so they aren’t potentially lethal to small children in a new policy statement.
As of now Pediatricians are calling for some of these things:
- Warning labels on foods that pose a high choking risk
- The establishment of a nationwide food-related choking-incident surveillance and reporting system
- Keep coins and other small items out of reach of young children at all times.
Hot dogs consist of processed meat, sometimes containing two or three different types. They also contain fillers and sodium nitrate. This alone should scare parents away from feeding these to their children. But yet child after child falls victim to choking on something as simple as a hot dog.
Rather than spending the time and the money to put warnings on these packages or change the shape, why not educate the public on what their putting into their children’s bodies. Soon enough everything is going to be set with warning. Children don’t come with an instruction manual but common sense and a little public knowledge could be saving children’s lives if their parents aren’t capable of it.
