A MUM is urging parents to stay vigilant when it comes to feeding their little ones, after her tot almost died.
One day Leo, who was 18-months at the time, began to silently choke while eating next to his mum.
Sharing the story on the Tiny Hearts Education Instagram page, his mum said Leo looked "still, blue [and] absolutely terrified".
Instinctively the mum picked up her son, lent him down and started delivering back blows.
"After five, I looked at his face and he was still choking and still terrified", she explained.
A few chest thrusts and back blows later a piece of apple became dislodged and fell to the floor.
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"I really thought he might have died that day," the mum said reflecting on the traumatic event.
"I blame myself for becoming too complacent with food and letting him eat besides us on the couch instead of me watching him the entire time.
"I didn't cut the apple small enough, this was the unfortunate reminder we all needed," she added.
According to the The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, a child dies in the UK every month from choking.
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How to prevent your child from choking
Tips for how to prevent choking was shared by the Instagram account Tiny Hearts Education, run by first aider Nikki Jurcutz and her sister, Rach.
Nikki wrote: “Choking is silent. You could be standing on the opposite side of the room with your back turned, and your bub could be choking.
“Unless they thrash about or somehow get your attention, you might not even notice.”
She said to keep her own kids Nahla and Wolfie safe, when she introduced them to food, “a set of rules came with it”.
These are:
1. No food in the car
Nikki makes sure her kids eat before they get into the car.
“That's because if I'm driving down the highway and one of them chokes, I can't stop quickly to deliver life-saving back blows and chest thrusts.
2. Eat at the table
If your bub is up and running around or lying down while eating, they are more likely to choke, she explained.
And having they sit down in one place while they eat also means she can have her eyes on them at all times.
3. Sit with the child
Nikki said either her or her partner is always with the kids when they are eating, “distraction free”, meaning no phones or TV.
“You need to be watching them constantly and paying attention to keep them safe,” she said.
Nikki said this is why she won't let her children eat in the car, because she is not able to watch them.
4. Safe foods only
Some foods are more of a risk for youngsters than others.
“There's well known choking hazards, particularly for kids under five, such as whole nuts, hard fruits and veggies, marshmallows and popcorn,” said Nikki.
It’s advised not to give small children foods in a circular shape or small lumps.
Instead, slice foods or make them into sticks.
5. Modify, substitute or distract
Nikki said if one of her kids asks her or her partner for food they do not think is safe to share, they have a strategy of “modify, substitute or distract”.
She said: “Modify: such as boiling or grating.
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“Substitute such as swapping popcorn for baby corn puffs.
“Or distract them with something else and delay introducing it to them until they are older and developmentally more capable of chewing and swallowing.”
What to do if your child chokes
It’s a parents worst nightmare to imagine a situation in which they have to save their child from choking
The NHS says if the child is coughing, encourage them to continue as they may be able to bring the object up. Don't leave them.
If the coughing isn’t effective (it is silent or they cannot breathe properly), shout for help immediately.
If the child is still conscious, use back blows.
First aiders at St John Ambulance give the following advice based on the child’s age.
Baby
- Slap it out:
- Lay the baby face down along your thigh and support their head
- Give five back blows between their shoulder blades
- Turn them over and check their mouth each time
2. Squeeze it out:
- Turn the baby over, face upwards, supported along your thigh
- Put two fingers in the centre of their chest just below the nipple line; push downwards to give up to five sharp chest thrusts
- Check the mouth each time
3. If the item does not dislodge, call 999 or 112 for emergency help
- Take the baby with you to call
- Repeat the steps 1 and 2 until help arrives
- Start CPR if the baby becomes unresponsive (unconscious)
Child
1. Cough it out
- Encourage the casualty to keep coughing, if they can
2. Slap it out
- Lean them forwards, supporting them with one hand
- Give five sharp back blows between the shoulder blades
- Check their mouth each time but do not put your fingers in their mouth
3. Squeeze it out
- Stand behind them with your arms around their waist, with one clenched fist between their belly button and the bottom of their chest
- Grasp the fist in the other hand and pull sharply inwards and upwards, giving up to five abdominal thrusts
- Check their mouth each time
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