How to Recognize Gagging & Why It’s Important When Starting Finger Foods
It sounds scary, but everyone navigating a young child’s feeding journey should understand the difference between gagging and choking. First-time parents who learn to recognize the signs of gagging and how to respond to it will feel more confident when starting solids with their children, making the experience less stressful overall. Many of our Finger Food customers have expressed a desire to understand the signs of choking versus gagging and how to respond when transitioning to Finger Foods, so we created this short guide for your easy reference!
What is gagging?
For babies who are new to Finger Foods, gagging is a natural part of learning how to eat bite-sized solids. It’s the body’s protective reflex to prevent choking that naturally pushes food deemed unfit for swallowing back out of the mouth without obstructing the airway. Choking is when the airway is obstructed, and the baby is having trouble breathing.
How do I spot gagging versus choking?
Signs of Gagging—let baby keep trying
- Watery eyes
- Retching sounds
- Coughing
- Crying
Signs of Choking—administer first aid and call 911
- Panicked behavior
- No sounds
- Pale skin
- Cannot cry
- Scared look
(For more information on choking and how to respond, please read the American Red Cross’ articles on Child & Baby CPR and Infant Choking: How To Help.)
Why is gagging important?
Every child gags in their early stages of eating, learning how to recognize the reflex and accept it as part of the process will help you feel more confident and reduce mealtime stress.
If your child is gagging, it’s important not to show alarm or physically intervene (using fingers to try and remove food from the mouth or giving gentle whacks on the back may make things worse). Instead, continue to supervise them while they learn and develop the gagging reflex by spitting food back to the front of the mouth, or out entirely. Gagging is typically a neutral experience for babies, and they usually resume eating right after they gag! The more you allow them to practice eating various textured foods, the faster they will outgrow gagging.
We know the early stages of feeding can be stressful, which is why it’s helpful to remember that babies’ primary source of nutrition should come from breast milk or formula for the first year of their lives. So, don’t worry if your baby isn’t eating much of the Finger Foods you serve during their early stages of eating, it is still giving them texture exposure and necessary practice to develop their swallowing skills for safe eating!
Our Finger Foods are designed to minimize the risk of choking by cutting foods to the ideal size and cooking them to a soft texture so your little one can self-feed safely. We recommend Finger Foods for babies 10 months and older, or babies who have some experience swallowing solid foods (either textured purees or baby-led weaning). We hope this information helps guide you through your own eating journey.
