CHOKE HAZARD
Babycinos and hot chocolates pose choking risk to your kids – AVOID them, parents warned
WHEN you go to a coffee shop with your little one it's always nice to be able to order them a drink too.
But parents are being warned to take more care when it comes to giving kids hot chocolates and babycinos.
2
Experts say the frothy beverages could be dangerous as some contain marshmallows which are a choking risk to children.
, which offers child first aid courses, shared a photo on Facebook showing two similar-looking cups of babycino.
One cup contains a large full-sized marshmallow, which it labelled "unsafe", while the other has mini marshmallows in, which it considers "safe".
According to , the post said: "Parents should be aware – while they might look cute, full-sized marshmallows are a choking hazard for our little ones.
"A safer option is to cut them into small pieces, use mini sized marshmallows, or better yet – eat the marshmallow yourself.
"Know what to do if the unthinkable happened and empower yourself with the knowledge and skill of baby and child first aid."
2
In a separate post, the organisation said: "Food is one of the most common types of choking hazards, and how you prepare your child’s food could be the difference between a happy family meal or a resuscitation."
They urged parents to cut marshmallows into quarters, adding: "The smaller, the better".
Parents should be aware – while they might look cute, full-sized marshmallows are a choking hazard for our little ones
Tiny Hearts Education
An by first aid specialists CE Safety found that in the past four years, 1,571 deaths were caused by choking on food or small objects.
Of those deaths, 14 were children under the age of five - while around 40 kids are rushed to hospital every day after swallowing something dangerous.
Children can be at a higher risk because their windpipes haven't properly developed yet or they haven't mastered chewing or swallowing techniques.
In fact, for young kids their windpipe is approximately the size of a drinking straw in diameter.
So, anything larger than this could an get easily stuck and have potentially devastating consequences.
Other food risks
Speaking to The Sun previously, health and safety trainer at , Gary Ellis said: "Although soft in texture, marshmallows can often glob together and expand in the throat causing a high choking risk.
"If left unsupervised for a matter of seconds, children can also be tempted to put the whole thing in their mouth, blocking their airways entirely."
Other foods he said could pose a risk include:
- White bread
- Carrot sticks
- Popcorn
- Hard boiled sweets
- Crackers and rice cakes
- Nuts and seeds
- Chunks of cheese
- Whole grapes
- Chewing gum
- Apples
- Chicken with bone
Babies are at a higher risk of choking as they explore the world around them by putting things in their mouths.
When they are really young, even curdled milk can pose a threat.
MORE ON HEALTH & SAFETY
The first thing to note is a baby who's choking won't be able to cry, cough or make any noise, as they struggle to breathe.
If your baby starts choking there are three things to do immediately:
Step 1. Give your baby five back blows
Hold your baby face down, resting them along your thigh with their head lower than their bottom.
Hit them firmly on their back between the shoulder blades up to five times.
If back blows don't dislodge the object, move on to step two.
Step 2. Give up to five chest thrusts
Turn your baby over so they are facing upwards and place two fingers in the middle of their chest just below the nipples.
Push sharply downwards up to five times.
Step 3. Call 999 if the object does not dislodge
Continue with cycles of back blows and chest thrusts until the blockage clears or help arrives.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.