Parents are often cautioned about the choking hazards of certain foods like grapes and boiled sweets for their young children. However, a paediatrician has now highlighted another food-related health risk that might not be as well-known.
Dr Niamh Lynch took to TikTok to issue a stark warning regarding toddlers consuming popcorn. In her video, she posed the question: “What do I recommend as the safest way to feed a toddler popcorn?” Her answer was straightforward: “I don’t. It’s really dangerous. Popcorn is very light so it can be inhaled very easily down into the airway and a toddler’s airway is teeny tiny.”
To drive the point home, Dr Lynch used diagrams to show that a toddler’s airway is about as wide as a little finger, which means it can be blocked quite easily. She also cautioned that not just whole pieces of popcorn are risky, but even the “particles” can be dangerous.
“If they are aspirated or breathed in, they can settle down in the lungs and cause significant infection,” she explained, before concluding with a grim reality. “So if a toddler aspirates into the airway, unfortunately it can cause them to pass away – and if they inhale little particles it can cause a really serious infection. So no, popcorn is too dangerous and it’s not recommended by paediatricians.”
Dr Lynch highlighted the danger of young children choking on certain foods by sharing news stories of infants who tragically passed away after inhaling popcorn.
The HSE backs up Dr Lynch’s advice, stating: “Never give a child under the age of 5: whole or chopped nuts (including peanuts); marshmallows; popcorn; chewing gum; small hard round or oval-shaped sweets – these include boiled sweets, cough drops, fruit gums, jelly beans, lollipops, caramels and chocolate mini eggs; small hard chocolates. These can choke your child.”
The message resonated with TikTok users, prompting one person to admit: “I hope my mum independently sees this on her Instagram reels because it’s the only way she would take this seriously. If I showed her she’d be secretly giving it to my toddler within a week.”
Another user said she was wary of the potential hazard: “I panic with my 9-year old eating popcorn. I’d have a heart attack with a toddler.” A third person praised the advice: “Thank you. My mum and brother think I’m crazy choosing to give my 4-year old a packet of crisps instead of popcorn. I just won’t allow it.”
Additionally, a particularly harrowing account came from someone who recounted a tragedy: “My next door neighbour’s child ended up severely brain damaged from a popcorn kernel stuck in a lung.”