Mum slammed for sharing photo of ‘extremely dangerous’ lunchbox she packed for her two-year-old
A MUM has been cruelly shamed after sharing a photo of an “extremely dangerous” lunchbox she packed for her toddler.
While some people said her lunch looked “delicious” others claimed it contained numerous dangerous choking hazards.
The mum shared a photo of the lunch she’d packed for her two-year-old in a Facebook group for parents.
The box was packed with apple slices, raisins, pretzel sticks, mixed nuts and pigs in a blanket with shredded cheese.
While some parents were positive calling it “awesome”, others harshly criticised the mum, leaving angry comments on the post.
One said: “Food looks great and nut butters are great but whole nuts for a 2 year old is extremely dangerous.”
What to do if your baby is choking
Babies explore the world around them by putting things in their mouths.
This means they're at high risk of choking.
When your baby is really young even curdled milk can pose a threat.
But as they grow up and start to move around, everyday items like sweets, grapes and nuts can prove common hazards.
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.
What should you do?
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.
Another added: “Looks good I wouldn’t recommend peanuts under three years old, but it’s what you’re comfortable with.
“Peanuts are always a risk of the choking hazard doesn’t matter what age you are.”
And a third said: “It’s really annoying to see parents not seeing the real risk or thinking it will never happen to them.”
An by first aid specialists CE Safety found that in the four years leading up to 2019, 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 get easily stuck and have potentially devastating consequences.
Most read in Fabulous
To help parents, health and safety trainer at CE Safety, Gary Ellis, has put together a list of 12 of the most high-risk foods for kids.
And a mum’s ‘life-saving’ parenting hack shows how to stop toddlers choking on common items including grapes.