Anyone who has kids is probably already aware of the danger that comes with small foods like grapes. Like so many other tiny objects, these seemingly innocent fruits can actually be quite deadly. Since a small child’s airway is as little as the size of a full grape, babies and toddlers can grab them, swallow them whole, and potentially choke. If you’ve never worried about it before, this X-ray of a kid’s throat after swallowing a grape will probably change that, because it’s legitimately terrifying.
When a recent report highlighted the danger of uncut grapes for kids, stating that two children had unfortunately passed away after eating them, an old X-ray photo of a grape lodged in a child’s throat resurfaced. The X-ray image was posted on the Facebook page Finlee + Me, by Australian blogger Angela Henderson, in April of 2017. The photo shows a five-year-old’s throat with a grape lodged in it, and it’s obvious how easily a grape could get stuck there.
In the post, Henderson writes, “This sweet soul had to be operated on, under general anesthetic to remove the grape. He is VERY lucky that part of his airway was open or else this could have ended badly.”
Finlee and Me/Facebook
Henderson added an important reminder for all parents (and really, for anyone), saying, “So please be mindful that not all kids chew their food, are in a rush at school to get in the playground etc. Please be careful. And when in doubt just cut the damn grapes, baby tomatoes etc.”
Luckily, this five-year-old boy was okay, but like Henderson said, it could have been so much worse.
Fortunately, this is a situation you can work to prevent. Before feeding a small child something like a grape, a cherry tomato, or any other food around that size, cut it into smaller, bite-size pieces no larger than 1/2 inch. If you think there’s any chance your child could get into the fruit in the fridge, have it cut up already, just in case. Better safe than sorry!
