Baby Choking Prevention: How to Keep Your Baby Safe During Mealtimes

September is National Baby Safety Awareness Month, and one of the most important topics to talk about is baby feeding safety. No matter where you live, keeping your baby safe is always a top priority—and that includes car seat safety, baby proofing, safe sleep, and feeding safety.

But one of the biggest fears for parents during mealtime? Choking.

In this post, I’ll share baby choking prevention tips, how to know if your baby is ready to start solids, and practical strategies for safe eating at every stage.

When I started solids with my son, our pediatrician told me at his 4-month visit: “You can start solids whenever you’re ready.”

They gave me a couple of papers with food ideas and safety basics and sent me on my way.

But as a pediatric occupational therapist, I knew there was so much more to solids and baby choking prevention than what I was told. Choking was one of my biggest fears as a parent, and I know many of you feel the same way.

That’s why I’m sharing my top choking prevention tips for babies and toddlers so you can feed your child with more confidence and peace of mind.

Step 1: Signs Your Baby is Ready to Start Solids

The number one way to prevent choking is to wait until your baby shows signs of readiness. Starting solids too early is a safety risk. Your baby is ready when they can:

• ✅ Sit with independence for ~30 seconds (prop sitting counts)

• ✅ Bring hands to mouth on purpose (try offering a toy to test this)

• ✅ Show interest in food and mealtimes (watching you eat, opening mouth when offered food)

• ✅ Stay upright and stable in a highchair (slouching occasionally is okay, but they should hold a safe position overall)

Step 2: Parent Preparation for Safe Feeding

Your baby being ready is only half of the equation... you also need to be prepared. Make sure you’ve researched:

• Best first foods for babies

• How to cut food for baby-led weaning

• Which foods are high choking risks

• Safe baby feeding positions

Recommended resources for safe feeding:

•  Solid Starts + Solid Starts book

• Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro

• Healthychildren.org 

• My Free First Foods Guide & Course

Step 3: Safe Food Preparation to Prevent Choking

When preparing foods for your baby:

• Use the squish test → food should squish easily between fingers

• Cut foods into hand-held sizes so baby can self-feed safely

• Avoid high choking hazard foods:

  • Whole nuts

  • Raw veggies

  • Chips

  • Popcorn

  • Grapes and hot dogs (unless cut safely)

• Find a full unsafe foods list here

Step 4: Take an Infant CPR Class

Every parent should know what to do if a baby is choking. I recommend:

• Moms on Call infant CPR online course 

• American Red Cross CPR certification 

Some parents also invest in a LifeVac device for emergencies. While it’s a helpful backup, don’t rely on it alone—infant CPR knowledge is absolutely essential.

Step 5: Always Supervise Baby During Meals

One of the easiest ways to prevent choking is simple: never leave your baby unattended while eating.

• Keep your baby within sight during meals

• Remember: choking is silent... you won’t hear it happening

• Avoid multitasking during mealtime

Step 6: Gagging vs Choking in Babies

It’s critical to know the difference between gagging and choking:

• Gagging = noisy, coughing, making faces → a natural reflex that keeps food out of the airway

• Choking = silent, blue lips, distress → requires immediate intervention with infant CPR

Understanding this difference can ease anxiety and help you respond correctly.

Step 7: Communicate Safe Feeding Rules with Others

Grandparents, babysitters, and even older siblings may not know what foods are safe. Clear communication about safe feeding practices can prevent accidents.

Step 8: Avoid Feeding in the Car

Eating in the car especially while rear-facing is a serious safety risk. You may not notice if your baby starts choking while driving.

Best feeding position = 90-90-90 (hips, knees, and ankles bent at 90°). Stick to upright, safe seating whenever possible.

At the end of the day, baby safety during mealtimes comes down to:

• Waiting until your baby is ready

• Learning safe feeding practices

• Supervising every meal

• Being prepared for emergencies with CPR knowledge

You can keep your baby safe and confident during this exciting stage of starting solids.

As always, the information here at Infant Insights is for educational purposes only and not medical advice. Please consult your pediatrician for questions specific to your child.