The choking death of a child is extra devastating because usually, such deaths are preventable with knowledge of the risk. One distraught mum has opened up about the death of her little girl due to choking on a mini Easter in a timely warning for all parents. Despite having learnt the basics of how to save a choking child, this mum unfortunately lost her 5-year-old as the little girl choked on a mini egg.
Easter treats are a potential choking hazard for kids
The mum says: "With Easter coming up I want to warn you all about another deadly choking hazard, one that tragically took away my child.
"It has been just short of three years since my precious little girl Sophie passed away she had choked on a mini egg and I was unable to dislodge it, even with back slaps and pushing up and under her ribs, I had done a first aid course only six months prior to this event so all the techniques to help a choking child were still fresh in my mind but it didn’t help.
"I watched the light slip away from my baby's eyes, I tried in vain to save her. Sophie was five and a half so not a tiny tot yet this seemingly harmless treat took my angel away.
"If your children enjoy these chocolate treats please watch them extra close and remind them to sit down whilst eating them or avoid them altogether."
Mums and dads, with Easter upon us, do not ignore this mum's warning and let her daughter's death be in vain. Closely monitor your children --- even older ones --- with easter eggs, especially the smaller eggs.
How to save a choking child: Tips for parents
According to a leading first aid charity, St John Ambulance, here's what you can do if your child is choking.
- Firstly, see if the object can be coughed out. Encourage your little one to cough so that the object is spat out.
- When that doesn't work, you can try to slap it out. So, help your child to bend forward. Then between their shoulder blades, give five sharp back blows using the heel of your hand. After five blows, check their mouth. If you can find anything there, ask your child to spit it out.
- Now, if you've tried both coughing it out and slapping it out, you can try to squeeze it out. For this try giving not more than five abdominal thrusts to your little one. Here's how you do it according to the American Red Cross:
- Stand or kneel behind the child and wrap your arms around his or her waist.
- Locate the navel with one or two fingers of one hand.
- Make a fist with the other hand and place the thumb side against the middle of the child’s abdomen, just above the navel and well below the lower tip of the breastbone.
-Grab your fist with your other hand and give quick, upward thrusts into the abdomen.
- If none of the above works, call the ambulance. Continue your efforts to get the object out until the ambulance arrives.
Check out this video for a visual guide on how to help your child if they face a choking hazard.
Source: The Sun, St John Ambulance, YouTube
Also Read: Save a choking baby