CHICAGO — When 4-year-old Eric Stavros Adler choked to death on a piece of hot dog, his anguished mother had never dreamed that the popular kids’ food could be so dangerous.
Some foodmakers, including Oscar Mayer, have warning labels about choking but not nearly enough, said Joan Stavros Adler, Eric’s mom.
The American Academy of Pediatrics agrees. The nation’s largest pediatricians group is calling for sweeping changes in the way food is designed and labeled to minimize children’s chances of choking.
Choking kills more than 100 U.S. children ages 14 or younger each year, and thousands more — 15,000 in 2001 — are treated in emergency rooms. Food, including candy and gum, is among the leading culprits, along with items such as coins and balloons. Of the 141 choking deaths in kids in 2006, 61 were food-related.
Surveillance systems lack detailed information about food choking incidents, which are thought to be underreported but remain a significant and underappreciated problem, said Dr. Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
Smith is lead author of a policy report from the pediatrics academy that seeks to make choking prevention a priority for government and foodmakers. The report was released today in the journal Pediatrics.
Federal law requires choking warning labels on certain toys, including small balls, balloons and games with small parts. Unless foodmakers voluntarily put more warning labels on high-risk foods, there should be a similar mandate for food, the pediatrics academy says.
The group also urges the Food and Drug Administration to work with other government agencies to establish a nationwide food-related choking-reporting system and to recall foods linked with choking.
The academy says the food industry should avoid shapes and sizes that pose choking risks. Something as simple as making lollipops flat like a silver dollar instead of round like a pingpong ball can make a big difference, said Bruce Silverglade, legal-affairs director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which also has lobbied for more attention to choking prevention.
Grocery Manufacturers Association spokesman Scott Openshaw declined to say whether foodmakers would consider warning labels or new designs but said making parents aware of choking dangers is key to keeping kids safe.
At the FDA, spokeswoman Rita Chappelle said the agency will review the academy’s analysis and recommendations. She said the FDA also would continue consulting with the Consumer Product Safety Commission on assessing choking hazards associated with food and take action on a case-by-case basis.
