Today we learn a sad news: a five-year-old girl died on Monday afternoon in Mérida (Badajoz) when she ate nuts. Apparently, it was a grain of corn that caused the suffocation that caused his death.
Nuts provide great nutritional benefits for adults and children, but by offering them whole (not ground), they are of the more dangerous foods for children because of the high risk of choking.
The girl was transferred to the Maternal and Child Hospital of Badajoz where unfortunately she died because of "a cardiocirculatory arrest secondary to respiratory failure, probably caused by the presence of a foreign body in the respiratory tract," according to the Extremadura Health Service.
In Babies and more The 17 foods that cause more choking in children and how to offer them to avoid itThe danger of nuts
Nuts such as almonds, nuts, peanuts, corn, hazelnuts, pistachios, as well as seeds such as pipes, are hard and small foods With great danger to children. By having airways with a small diameter, added that they still have an incomplete dentition, chew less food, and can be easily distracted while eating, the risk of choking increases in small ones.
Therefore, the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, in its Guide to Prevention of Childhood Injuries, recommends Do not offer whole nuts before five years because of the risk of suffocation.
Before that age, you can offer ground or crushed after six months. Although previously offered for the risk of allergy, it has been proven that it is the late introduction to food in the diet that could predispose to developing allergies.
What to do in case of choking
The five-year-old girl was at the age limit that discourages PEA, however it is important to always monitor children while eating potentially dangerous foods, among which are also grapes, popcorn, sausages, hard candies, etc.
This way we can react quickly in case of an episode of choking and perform the necessary maneuvers.
A choking happens when a foreign body, be it food, a piece of a toy, or any small object, it enters the airway, obstructing it and preventing air from entering the lungs. Since you cannot breathe normally, there is a risk of suffocation.
The child puts his hands around his neck, feeling choking, starts coughing and cannot speak. If with the cough you do not eject the piece of food or the object that obstructs the trachea, and the person is conscious, the Heimlich Maneuver must be performed (we will show it here on video).
It consists of compression or abdominal thrusts by placing the fist of one hand below the rib cage and above the navel. Do not offer water or put your hand in your mouth. If the child loses consciousness, the cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers must be initiated.
In Babies and more, what to do if my child chokes?If it's about babies under one year old, the maneuver is different.
We must place it face down on the forearm or on your knees (as we see in the photo above) and hit it on the back (between the shoulder blades) with the hollow hand, firm but soft. If the foreign body has not left, the baby should be turned around and compressed hard five times in a row in the center of the chest. Alternate slapping on the back with chest compressions until the foreign body is ejected, or until medical help arrives.
In Babies and more | Nine tips to prevent suffocation from small objects in babies and children
