Choking Hazard

People with Down's Syndrome generally have a very high palette and a large tongue. This can make eating quite a challenge if the food is unruly! My daughter used to choke on a regular basis and it is very scary. She has choked on a wedge of soggy biscuit which lodged itself in her palette (someone thought it a good idea to give her a biscuit in each hand); hard fruit and veg - apples and carrots are difficult to chew and control in the mouth; a frozen strawberry - this was terrifying as she was a teenager at the time and I discovered that I can't administer the Heimlich manoevre - luckily my partner could; sweets - she has now learned to refuse any confectionary that looks like it might cause problems; the list goes on!

Your child may well not have a problem eating, but do keep an eye when they are small and trying new foods. I have seen a child I worked with choke on a carrot given at snack time when it was thought a good idea to eat snacks in the playground; the little boy I currently work with tended to scarf down a banana in two or three bites like a pelican - could easily cause problems.

Teach your child to chew thoroughly and not stuff too much in their mouths at once. If necessary, make sure 'danger' foods are cut into manageable pieces before being given. Learn what to do in an emergency - it's pretty straightforward and could save a life.

That Tongue!

One characteristic of people with Down's Syndrome is the larger tongue which can protrude. You can assist your child to keep their tongue in in many ways.

Firstly, improve the muscle tone of the tongue by introducing little exercises - touching the tongue to the upper and lower lips and side to side. If they are unwilling to do this, you can make it more interesting by smearing a little something tasty around the mouth - a few chocolate sprinkles or some jam work wonders! Brush the tongue gently with a soft toothbrush - this stimulates blood flow and the muscles.

When your child is small, just gently poke the tongue back in the mouth with your (clean!) finger and perhaps tell them quietly to put their tongue away. Don't make a big issue about it, just turn it into something you do as a matter of course throughout the day.

Mouth exercises also help towards speech development. A tongue that is better controlled will mean clearer speech when the time comes. When your child is slightly older, introduce little games such as blowing through a straw to make bubbles, blowing a feather into the air, drinking through a straw, making funny noises - 'ooooooo-eeeeeee-aaaarrr' - singing Old MacDonald works well for that one!