Tuesday 20 November 2012

A REALLY important story you should read

I was doing a quick browse of recent FB posts this morning, when I came across THIS story.   It's about a horrible thing that happened to a 5yo.  Basically, whilst her Mum was chatting near their car, her little girl got tangled up in the car seat belts, and could have strangled to death.

Read the story.

Buy some scissors for your car.

I also personally learnt a lesson about giving children lollipops.

When Joshua was about 20 months old, someone gave me some of those hard, boiled sweet type lollipops for him.  I hadn't given them to him before, but I knew my friend gave them to her similar aged child, so I gave him one.  I was sitting RIGHT next to him whilst he ate it, to keep an eye on him.

But, it's amazing how quickly something can go wrong.

He managed to pull the sweet OFF the stick, and he choked.

I noticed STRAIGHT away, but it was stuck in there.  I did what they recommend for a baby who is choking, and tipped him up and hit him between the shoulder blades.

Nothing.

I repeated it, harder, and tipped him up more.

NOTHING.

At this point he was getting no air in or out, and I was starting to panic.

I thought about calling 999, but I quickly realised that by the time they would get there, he would be dead.

I realised I needed to try the Heimlich maeuver, even though it's not what you should do for small children.  I figured better that he had damaged ribs and be ALIVE, than dead and intact.

So, I did the Heimlich, but it took a few attempts.  You know how the story ended, because Josh is indeed alive and well.  But, boy...was that a scary moment.

I now do not give children lollipops until they are a lot older, and have a strict "sit down while you eat that" policy.  I prefer them to have chewy ones than hard ones.  Actually, that's a lie.  I would PREFER that they have none, but that would be slightly over-protective.

I would certainly recommend that every Mum knows what to do if your child chokes.







I was less successful when Abi gave Elijah the last bit of a sweet she had already been sucking, when he was only months old.  We were at Church, and I could NOT get it out.  I was very thankful that 2 of our Church members were nurses, and I just handed him over to one of them, saying "you do it".  Very thankfully, he managed to do it. Poor Abi was just trying to be kind, and had no idea small babies do not eat sweets.

So, read the above article, and hug your children close today, and always be on the look out for their safety.


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