Gagging vs choking when weaning your baby

One of the things that parents fear most when embarking on the weaning journey with a little one is: choking. And rightly so! It can be a super scary thought, and it is not something to ignore as babies can, and do, choke, on food and other small things! But there is lots of stuff you can do to minimise this risk, such as waiting for your baby to show ALL the developmental signs of readiness for solids, sitting them upright in an appropriate high chair, and avoiding (or adapting) some common choking hazard foods… more on this later!

What is gagging?

But what is gagging? And do I need to worry about my baby gagging? In short, no. But I would totally recommend familiarising yourself with the difference between gagging and choking before you embark on your weaning journey.

Parents often think their baby is gagging when in fact they are not. Gagging is actually a normal part of learning to eat for a baby, it allows them to remove any food they aren’t quite ready to swallow. Gagging is totally normal and is safe. Choking, however, is not…

What is the difference?

Gagging is loud - your child may splutter, cough, and gag. This reflex is here to protect the airway.

Choking is more quiet and can be silent - there may be no cough and the face may turn blue.

The NHS has a useful page which I would recommend reading to familiarise yourself with the differences between choking and gagging and it has links to videos to show you what gagging looks like and also links to learn more about what to do if a child chokes. You can also check out keepabeat.co.uk for online training on weaning and choking.

How to minimise the risk of choking:

-Ensure your baby is showing ALL the signs of developmental readiness to start weaning

-Sit with your child at all times whilst they are eating. Never, ever leave them unattended whilst eating

-Ensure your baby is upright ideally in a high chair and not lying back or slumped (for example in a bouncer)

-Demonstrate what good chewing looks like: you can over exaggerate this making chewing sounds and swallowing sounds in front of your baby

-Ensure you offer food at an appropriate texture for age and stage of weaning

-Familiarise yourself with some of the foods which can be key choking hazards and learn how to adapt them to make them safer for your baby

Common choking hazards

Here are a list of some of the foods which you may need to be mindful how you prepare and serve them when weaning your baby depending on their age and developmental status due to choking risk:

-Uncut cherry tomatoes

-Uncut grapes

-Whole blueberries (these can be blended, mashed or squished)

-Raw hard fruits like apple

-Raw hard veg like carrots

-Whole nuts, chopped nuts, chunky nut butter (smooth butters are ok, or they can be fully ground/milled)

-Large seeds

-Whole peas, beans and chickpeas (these can be blended, mashed or squished)

-Hot dogs and sausages (uncut)

-Hard chunks of meat

-Popcorn

-Small bones in meat or fish

-Chunks of cheese, especially stringy cheese

-Round or hard sweets

-Marshmallows

Top tips:

-Cut finger foods into manageable-sized pieces- long strips longer than your babies palm

-Ensure foods are soft and squishable between your thumb and forefinger so your baby can manipulate them with their gums

-Finger foods should not contain any large pips, small stones, or small bones

-Whole grapes and other small round foods like blueberries and cherry tomatoes, can be a choking hazard, so cut these foods into pieces and squish them a little before offering. Ideally delay these foods until your little one is a older and has developed the pincer grasp (where the pointer finger meets the thumb - this is usually around 9 months or older) and you are confident they can manage

-Similarly, legumes like chickpeas, peas and beans can be potential choking hazards. They can be mashed or blended from 6 months of age and can be cooked well, squished and offered whole when your little one older and you are confident they can manage. Try making a pea mash, chickpea hummus or a butter bean mash

-Small chunks of hard food like apple or raw carrots can be a choking hazard. Ideally these foods should be cooked to soften them first

-Avoid whole nuts until your baby is at least 5 years of age. Instead offer smooth nut butter or finely ground nuts

This post is for general information only and does not substitute for medical advice.

All foods can be a choking hazard and the suggestions above do not eliminate this risk. You must supervise your baby at all times when offering food.

If you have questions about food safety for your individual baby or child please discuss this with your healthcare professional.