Choking kills more than 100 U.S. children a year. Is it time to redesign this all-American food? Choking kills more than 100 children in the U.S. per year. 15,000 a year are treated in emergency rooms. The culprits? Candy, gum, coins, balloons and food such as popcorn and hot dogs. Today, in the journal "Pediatrics," The American Academy of Pediatrics is calling for changes in the way food is designed and labeled to minimize children's chances for choking.