Pediatricians call for choke-proof hotdog
Pediatricians call for choke-proof hotdog
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Pediatricians call for choke-proof hotdog
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Post #1 - February 22nd, 2010, 9:10 amToday, the Academy of Pediatrics called for the redsign of hotdogs to make them more choke proof. The linked article states that 10,000 kids go to ERs each year with food-choking incidents, and 77 of those kids die. It further states that 17% of all food choking incidents involve hotdogs. That number is not surprising since a good percentage of all food consumed by kids IS hotdogs. Although the article does not specifically state how many deaths are attributable to the consumption of cylindrical encapsulated meat products, one could construe from the numbers that up to 13 kids could die each year from hotdog chokage. I wonder what a choke-proof hotdog would look like?
edit:added the name of Academy of PediatricsLast edited by d4v3 on February 22nd, 2010, 9:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #2 - February 22nd, 2010, 9:14 amI heard this story on the radio this morning. I guess if there is something they can do to prevent children choking thats a good thing.
What was odd was Roma(on the Don & Roma Show on WLS), acted like this was the first time she had ever heard of hotdogs being a choking hazard for children.. what a dufus.
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Post #3 - February 22nd, 2010, 9:26 amNumber of children in the US: 75 million
Percentage who die from a hot dog choking incident annually: .000017%
The point is not that it is not true that every death is a tragedy. But when we upend our lives to solve a problem so rare, the odds that we are going to remove a zero and kill 130 kids rather than 13 with the solution is considerable. Considerably greater than the possibility that we will reduce it by 13, or even half.Last edited by Mike G on February 22nd, 2010, 9:28 am, edited 1 time in total.Watch Sky Full of Bacon, the Chicago food HD podcast!
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Post #4 - February 22nd, 2010, 9:28 amjimswside wrote:I guess if there is something they can do to prevent children choking thats a good thing.
Jim, I'll join you in this--which is sure to be controversial position.
The article has this quote:
"Though Smith says he doesn't know exactly how someone would redesign a hot dog, he's certain that some savvy inventor will find a way."
So, we don't know what a choke-proof hot dog would look like. But assuming one can be made, and it resembles a hot dog enough to deserve the name hot dog, and it could be available as an option for children--yeah, I'll come down firmly on the side of preventing children from choking to death.
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Post #5 - February 22nd, 2010, 9:32 amSo, we don't know what a choke-proof hot dog would look like
Oh, I think we do.
Last edited by Mike G on February 22nd, 2010, 9:33 am, edited 1 time in total.Watch Sky Full of Bacon, the Chicago food HD podcast!
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Post #6 - February 22nd, 2010, 9:33 amMike G wrote:
But when we upend our lives to solve a problem so rare, the odds that we are going to remove a zero and kill 130 kids rather than 13 with the solution is considerable.
I imagine if the public was given a list of scientific or other studies our taxdollars fund there would be many more ridiculous ones on that list for sure.
As a parent I just have a soft spot for kids.Last edited by jimswside on February 22nd, 2010, 9:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #7 - February 22nd, 2010, 9:37 amriddlemay wrote:jimswside wrote:I guess if there is something they can do to prevent children choking thats a good thing.
Jim, I'll join you in this--which is sure to be controversial position.
The article has this quote:
"Though Smith says he doesn't know exactly how someone would redesign a hot dog, he's certain that some savvy inventor will find a way."
So, we don't know what a choke-proof hot dog would look like. But assuming one can be made, and it resembles a hot dog enough to deserve the name hot dog, and it could be available as an option for children--yeah, I'll come down firmly on the side of preventing children from choking to death.
well put,
I seem almost always to be on the opposite side of the fence from most on here.
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Post #8 - February 22nd, 2010, 9:37 amjimswside wrote:I guess if there is something they can do to prevent children choking thats a good thing.Mike G wrote:Number of children in the US: 75 million
Percentage who die from a hot dog choking incident annually: .000017%
I wonder how many of them are with unsupervised eating of hotdogs. In other words, can this be minimized by getting parents or the children to recognize the potential danger.
Maybe the redesign is to have bold print on the hotdog itself* that reads "WARNING: YOU MAY CHOKE ON THIS!"
and when it comes into contact with ketchup, the second and third words would magically interchange
*and bun if the hotdog is not entirely visible - and/or vendor, waitstaff can furnish the 'advice'
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Post #9 - February 22nd, 2010, 9:47 amMaybe mustard just needs to be re-branded as hot dog lube.
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Post #10 - February 22nd, 2010, 10:41 amI'd rather the FDA, or HHS or whoever recommend for children not to eat hot dogs, and not create an entirely new product, with its own potential health concerns. Hot dogs aren't very nutritious anyway, and kids could benefit from more diverse protein sources. I have a little one, and even on a small budget with a very busy schedule, it's not that hard to avoid hot dogs in favor of more nutrient-rich options. I don't assume my ideals are necessarily right for anyone else, but if it came down to it, I think a warning or recommendation would be more beneficial than a creepy new hot dog product.
Aren't these bad enough?
My little sister grew up on a jarred version of these that were marketed to little kids, and they were her most eaten food as a toddler. She's a teenager now, and still eats hot dogs more than most other foods.Logan: Come on, everybody, wang chung tonight! What? Everybody, wang chung tonight! Wang chung, or I'll kick your ass!
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Post #11 - February 22nd, 2010, 10:42 amSo long as nobody tries to legislate to make it mandatory, knock yourselves out. As already evidenced here, there's obviously a market for it.
On the "most effective ways to spend our time and energy to keep kids safe" spectrum, however, I'm with Mike. This one's a tiny blip in a sea of infinitesimal dangers.
(Or cut them into pieces... problem solved.)
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Post #12 - February 22nd, 2010, 10:44 amI make a considerable effort to get my kids to eat things that aren't hot dogs, and succeed to some extent, yet you would be horrified to see how their innocent little eyes light up at the prospect that Dad is going to roll Vienna dogs in Pillsbury crescent rolls and bake them for their dinner (usually a night when I have other plans...)Watch Sky Full of Bacon, the Chicago food HD podcast!
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Post #13 - February 22nd, 2010, 10:48 amdeletedLast edited by Katie on February 22nd, 2010, 3:43 pm, edited 1 time in total."Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
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Post #14 - February 22nd, 2010, 10:54 amDmnkly wrote:
(Or cut them into pieces... problem solved.)
Haha! That would never work, obviously, or one of those wise and learned health organizations would have suggested it by now.Logan: Come on, everybody, wang chung tonight! What? Everybody, wang chung tonight! Wang chung, or I'll kick your ass!
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Post #15 - February 22nd, 2010, 11:05 amTo be clear I wouldnt buy this hot dog, I doubt it would be any good, and probably made out of tofu or something bad like that.
I have known since day 1 of being a father that hotdogs are a choking hazard(pretty easy info to come across if you read any books about children). I will do what I have always done, watch my daughter like a hawk while she eats a hot dog, or any of the other foods that can be hazards, or cut up the hotdog into small pieces when she wants it in her spaghetti o's.
I guess this is another instance of the govt. having to protect the folks who dont know any better in American society, aka folks who have no common sense, and probably shouldnt have had kids in the first place. This is 2010 America at its finest/worst.
My daughter eats as wide of a variety of foods as any 3 year old I have ever heard of or known, yet as Mike said there is something about a hot dog that kids love, no matter what other foods we expose them to. An all beef hot dog once in a while isnt bad for anyone.
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Post #16 - February 22nd, 2010, 11:16 amFWIW, I don't mean to imply that I'm insensitive to choking dangers. My wife once did an autopsy on a toddler who died choking on a grape. You'd better believe that every grape in our household is cut in half before it's served. But, you know, some dangers are best addressed by a nationwide call to develop a special anti-choking hot dog, and some dangers are best addressed with ten seconds and a butterknife.Last edited by Dmnkly on February 22nd, 2010, 11:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #17 - February 22nd, 2010, 11:23 amjimswside wrote:I guess this is another instance of the govt. having to protect the folks who dont know any better in American society, aka folks who have no common sense, and probably shouldnt have had kids in the first place. This is 2010 America at its finest/worst.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an professional association, not part of the government. From their website:The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and its member pediatricians dedicate their efforts and resources to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. The AAP has approximately 60,000 members in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and many other countries. Members include pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists. More than 34,000 members are board-certified and called Fellows of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP).
HISTORY
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) was founded in June 1930 by 35 pediatricians who met in Detroit in response to the need for an independent pediatric forum to address children’s needs. When the AAP was established, the idea that children have special developmental and health needs was a new one. Preventive health practices now associated with child care – such as immunizations and regular health exams – were only just beginning to change the custom of treating children as “miniature adults."
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the AAP is to attain optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. To accomplish this mission, the AAP shall support the professional needs of its members.
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Post #18 - February 22nd, 2010, 11:37 amjesteinf wrote:The American Academy of Pediatrics is an professional association, not part of the government. From their website:
of course they are a professional association(and probably well funded lobbyists). but they couldnt get packages with warning labels, or a new prduct without the govt's help.
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Post #19 - February 22nd, 2010, 11:47 amI worked for three years in a pediatric hospital and during that period, developed a list of fifty or sixty things that could potentially be a choking hazard for young children. Some like nuts and lollipops were obvious; others, were less so. We had a policy that if anyone on the medical staff complained about a particular item, we would generally take it off the menu.
In the old days when parents paid a lot of attention while their kids were eating, it was probably a lot safer to give those items to your children. Nowadays, when that can no longer be assumed, it is probably better to err on the side of caution.
What I find disturbing personally is the rush from formula to solid food, especially when the child lacks the teeth to chew the item properly. Too often, people are rushing through the strained food level.
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Post #20 - February 22nd, 2010, 11:50 amMike G wrote:...Dad is going to roll Vienna dogs in Pillsbury crescent rolls and bake them for their dinner
We would add bacon and cheese to these...loved them. Haven't had one in 30 years, though.Reading is a right. Censorship is not.
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Post #21 - February 22nd, 2010, 1:15 pmjimswside wrote:jesteinf wrote:The American Academy of Pediatrics is an professional association, not part of the government. From their website:
of course they are a professional association(and probably well funded lobbyists). but they couldnt get packages with warning labels, or a new prduct without the govt's help.
I think we are all jumping the gun here. The gummint isn't doing anything (at least for now), just the AAP putting out a statement - which goes towards fulfilling their mission.jlawrence01 wrote:What I find disturbing personally is the rush from formula to solid food, especially when the child lacks the teeth to chew the item properly. Too often, people are rushing through the strained food level.
We never fed our little one strained food - kefir, and soft, lightly mashed food, sure - to try and encourage chewing*. It wasn't easy as she didn't get her first tooth till 16 or 17 months. So early on (following toothhood), softer hot dogs were an occasional effort to get more protein down.
*see for example, this 2007 article Pureed baby food is 'unnatural' [BBC]
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Post #22 - February 22nd, 2010, 1:31 pmsazerac wrote:jimswside wrote:jesteinf wrote:The American Academy of Pediatrics is an professional association, not part of the government. From their website:
of course they are a professional association(and probably well funded lobbyists). but they couldnt get packages with warning labels, or a new prduct without the govt's help.
I think we are all jumping the gun here. The gummint isn't doing anything (at least for now), just the AAP putting out a statement - which goes towards fulfilling their mission.
Thank you.
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Post #23 - February 22nd, 2010, 1:33 pmWe aren't jumping it too far, though-- this is exactly where legislation/regulation comes from, all these initialed groups with Washington lobbyists.Watch Sky Full of Bacon, the Chicago food HD podcast!
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Post #24 - February 22nd, 2010, 1:38 pmThere is a VERY long road from an initial statement like this to government mandated non-child suffocating hot dogs. There are plenty of other things closer to the front of the line at the moment.
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Post #25 - February 22nd, 2010, 1:44 pmWell, yeah, I wasn't suggesting that they were sittin' around Washington for a lack of things to mess with...
Still, it's never too early for mockery in my book.Watch Sky Full of Bacon, the Chicago food HD podcast!
New episode: Soil, Corn, Cows and Cheese
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Post #26 - February 22nd, 2010, 1:54 pmKatie wrote:Possibly advising parents not to let small children eat hot dogs unsupervised would be a better focus of the Academy's outreach efforts?
The focus of this AAP statement is to raise awareness of choking hazards - and yes, it's easy for a kid to choke - non-food choking is a big enough issue that we have age-appropriate toys to address it. I agree, this is more an issue of parent education than it is of a need for response by the food industry.
I'm guessing the hotdog redesign idea was more a marketing ploy than anything else, the actual verbiage statesAmerican Academy of Pediatrics wrote:Food manufacturers should design new foods and redesign existing foods to avoid shapes, sizes, textures, and other characteristics that increase choking risk to children, to the extent possible. Pediatricians, dentists, and other infant and child health care providers should provide choking-prevention counseling to parents as an integral part of anticipatory guidance activities.
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Post #27 - February 22nd, 2010, 2:23 pmthis just seems like a great oppurtunity for Oscar Meyer or whoever, to develope a child safe hot dog (whatever that may be) and make some easy money off concerned parents. I really don't think legistlation is going to be coming down this pipeline any time soon.
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Post #28 - February 22nd, 2010, 2:33 pmUnfortunately, the only real way to make it choke-proof is to make it significantly smaller, like slim-jim diameter.
I'm sure somebody in Kraft is already working on it. Personally, I think foot-long skinny dogs that you could braid together has some interesting possibilities.
Really, all you have to do is slice a regular dog lengthwise, and you've eliminated most of the problem.
But the biologist/engineer part of me says, "Why not redesign children's tracheas?" Odds are, we could come up with a design that's useful in other ways (like breathing through the top of the skull like a dolphin, prevent drownings) that benefit those other than the idiots feeding their kids throat-plugs.What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
-- Lin Yutang
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Post #29 - February 22nd, 2010, 2:55 pmOctodog=choke-proof hotdog.
They don't need to redesign the hotdog, they need to market this tool better...it could become a staple (like the pizza cutter) in every household. Seriously I would think that the octodog would lessen the chance of choking since there is less of the capsule shape to chock on. So maybe not choke-proof, but "safer".
http://www.octodog.net/
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Post #30 - February 22nd, 2010, 4:36 pmI think the two biggest issues, are parents that aren't parenting, and a lack of common sense. I don’t have kids of my own, but I used to baby sit my niece (who turned 21 today, Happy Birthday Steph) and nephew, I made sure ANYTHING that could have caused them to choke was cut into small pieces. Both kids loved the little sausages in the can or jar. I’d cut them widthwise and then quarter the smaller pieces. I was scared to death that they might choke on something. I also would give them the smallest tea spoons in the house so they couldn’t take a heaping spoonful of anything when they learned to feel themselves. To me it was just common sense, plus I had a Mom who watched us like a hawk.The most dangerous food to eat is wedding cake.
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