An X-ray image of a grape lodged in a five-year-old’s throat is once again going viral, despite being shared nearly a year ago.
Angela Henderson, the Brisbane mum behind parenting blog Finlee and Me, shared the shocking image on Facebook as a warning to all parents about the choking hazard of seemingly safe objects.
“This sweet soul had to be operated on, under general anaesthetic to remove the grape,” she wrote. “He is VERY lucky that part of his airway was open or else this could have ended badly.”
“So please be mindful that not all kids chew their food, are in a rush at school to get in the playground etc. Please be careful. And when in doubt just cut the damn grapes, baby tomatoes etc.”
The message has been shared over 27,000 times since it was posted in April 2017 and its message is particularly poignant after the recent death of three-year-old Alby Davis who choked on bouncy ball earlier this month.
Another mum has also recently warned parents about the dangers of chocolate eggs in the lead up to Easter.
“With Easter coming up I want to warn you all about another deadly choking hazard, one that tragically took away my child,” she wrote for Mumsadvice.co.uk.
“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.”
The Children’s Hospital at Westmead says that anything smaller than a 20 cent piece can choke a child aged less than three years.
Some examples include:
- Raw, hard fruit and vegetable pieces.
- Large pieces of meat, bones or sausage skins.
- Popcorn, nuts, hard lollies and corn chips.
- Small magnets and batteries.
- Coins, beads, marbles and small uninflated balloons.
- Broken toys and smaller toys.
They also recommend mashing, chopping or grating hard foods and minimising laughing and crying during mealtimes to prevent choking.
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