The following information is quoted from Pamela Prentice, Campaigns Manager at the "Child Accident Prevention Trust " Doctors have issued a stark warning that young children can choke to death on whole grapes, describing three cases of children who needed emergency treatment: • A five-year-old boy choked while eating grapes at an after-school club. Despite first aid, the grape could not be dislodged and the child had a heart attack and died. • A 17-month-old boy choked while eating grapes with his family at home. Paramedics were called and the grape was eventually removed but the little boy still died. • A two-year-old choked while snacking on grapes in the park. He suffered two seizures and spent five days in intensive care before thankfully making a full recovery. The doctors warn that food is responsible for over half of all fatal choking accidents, with grapes the third most common cause of death in food-related incidents.
Why are grapes so dangerous? The size and shape of grapes means they can completely plug a child’s airway. And the tight seal produced by the grape’s smooth surface makes them difficult to dislodge with standard first aid techniques. Young children are particularly vulnerable to choking on grapes because: • They don’t have a full set of teeth and are still learning to chew properly. • Their swallow reflex is still developing. • Their airway is very small. Grapes should be chopped in half lengthways and ideally in quarters
At our creches we also cut things like cherry tomatoes and cocktail sausages into small pieces to avoid blocking the childrens airways. REMEMBER no child should be left alone whilst eating.
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