As a parent, you’ve probably seen that anything your little one touches will likely end up in their mouth. This is how kids learn and grow, especially when they start eating solid foods.

So, it’s good to be thinking about potential choking hazards, and learning how to prevent your child from choking on something. But at the same time, you don’t want to limit your kids’ natural curiosity, or discourage them from trying new foods.

So what’s the safest way to let kids be kids? Answering that question was the focus of our conversation with pediatrician Jessica Najarian-Bell on this episode of the For Health’s Sake podcast. She had helpful insights to share, both about what to do if your child is choking and how to prevent choking in the first place. We covered:

• Common choking hazards for toddlers and other young kids
• Signs that your child is choking
• What to do if your child is choking
• Where to learn first aid for choking

Put safety first

As scary as choking can be, there’s a lot that you can do to protect your child from it. And the good news is that you’re already doing one of the most important things you can do: you’re learning.

If you’re looking for more advice like what you heard on this podcast, talk to your child’s doctor. Pediatricians and other kids’ health clinicians are experts in caring for kids, and they can provide answers for any questions or concerns you have.