Kids under five years old should not have whole grapes or grape tomatoes. Children that young have small airways making it easy for these small fruits to be trapped and completely block all air.
A recent entry in the Archives of Disease in Childhood reported three cases of children from Scotland ages 5, 2, and 17 months who presented in the emergency room with blocked airways. Each had eaten a whole grape that became lodged and formed a tight seal in the airway. Two of the children died.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
