A.B. asks from Boston, MA on February 01, 2008
Apple Peel Choking Hazard?
I am making my own purees for my six month old daughter. All the books I have been using say to peel the apple before pureeing it, but my doctor gave me adverse advice. She said that if I am using a cuisenart (which I am) that I should leave the peel on a raw apple before pureeing, as it contains more vitamins and fiber. There are tiny fragments of peel in the puree and I am worried that they could be a choking hazard. Are tiny fragments of peel dangerous?
More Answers
D.M. answers from Boston on February 03, 2008
If the peel is tiny, I think you should be ok. At this point, my 7 month old is mashing/swallowing more lumpy foods. As I feed her my purees, I just feel around with the spoon to fish out the larger pieces that I don't think would be good for her, know what I mean?
I've been peeling my apples, but I guess next time I'll try to keep it on!
C.E. answers from Boston on February 04, 2008
I highly don't believe tiny fragments of apple peel would harm her. Just monitor her while she eats it. I am sure the doctor wouldn't recommend it if it would harm her in any way. I wish you luck!!
C.D. answers from Boston on February 02, 2008
Not a choking hazard. A grape would be something that would block the airway. A small piece of apple skin is ok!
L.G. answers from Boston on February 04, 2008
I would think, along with the other moms, that if very small, okay. Maybe if you still feel uneasy, another option would be to put the puree through a wide mesh strainer.
C.W. answers from Boston on February 05, 2008
Hi A.,
I made all of my daughters baby food and froze it as well, she is now 20 months old. I did actually find that baking the apples first made it easier to process. When they are raw it took alot longer to make mush. On another note I have a recommendation for Green Beans, my daughter had such a texture problem with the fresh and frozen ones no matter how long i mixed them up, that i ended up buying canned no salt added ones and processing them. They are just like the ones they sell in baby food jars for toddlers and are great for mushing!
Good luck and if you have any more questions about makeing baby food I found this website great..
www.wholesomebabyfood.com
C.
W.S. answers from Hartford on February 02, 2008
Hi A., While I am not a speech pathologist, (a person who is trained to detect swollowing disorders), I have worked with persons who need to consume ground or pureed diets due to swallowing disorders. What creats a choking hazard is anything that will get caught in the trhoat and block the air passage. If the fragment is tiny, it won't get caught. Start with a little, see if your child is getting it down OK and proceed from there. Your doctors right, most of the vitamins are in the peel.
C.L. answers from Boston on February 02, 2008
hi allison,
my name is C. and after having raised 5 kids and 20 grandchildren, I can honestly tell ya that as long as the peel is very fine and very tiny, it should be o.k. If in doubt, get a mortar and pestle and grind it up fine before pureeing. Hope this helps. C.
Email