Nuts, the main cause of choking in children. What do I do if it happens to my child?

A 15-month-old baby died this weekend in Villena (Alicante) after choking on nuts.

The girl, who took the nuts in an oversight of the parents, (CSI) of the town, and the medical personnel could not do anything to save her life.

Choking in minors is a serious, potentially lethal accident. In the United States alone, it is the fourth most common cause of death.

In Spain, according to data from (SEPAR), mortality stands at 9 cases per 1,000 accidents due to foreign bodies in children.

He Dr. Anselmo Andres details:

  • “There are not many recent incidence data, but despite the fact that the number of cases has dropped thanks to greater awareness among doctors and the family, every year there are between 3 and 10 cases in the large Spanish pediatric hospitals, of children with ingestion of foreign bodies in the airway”.

Although it is not a frequent pathology, it is a pediatric emergency that affects, above all, children between 1 and 4 years of age and that “requires early diagnosis and treatment.”

Nuts should be avoided in children under 4 years of age due to the high risk of choking freepik

But why is this age group the most vulnerable and the most prone to choking?

It is due to:

  • The lack of molars that allow good chewing

  • The tendency to put objects in the mouth

  • Lack of coordination between swallowing and closure of the glottis.

“Therefore, prevention is essential to avoid these incidents.”

During a choking, the foreign body enters the airway, preventing air from entering the lungs. The risk of suffocation is very high

Regarding dangerous objects, nuts or seeds are the main cause of choking in children. And also small parts of toys, or stones.

The second age group most at risk of suffering these serious episodes are children between 9 and 12 years of age.

At this age “the ingestion of pen caps, button batteries or metal objects is more frequent.”

Choking symptoms

  • Cough.

  • Labored breathing.

  • Inability to speak or, in the case of children, to cry or make any sound.

  • Blue discoloration of the skin due to difficulty breathing.

  • loss of consciousness

How to act in case of choking

As they point out from the (AEPED), the most important thing is keep calm to be able to help the minor in the best possible way.

The child must be encouraged to cough vigorously, without doing any maneuvers. You should try to expel the foreign object on your own.

  • “You shouldn’t hit the back or blindly try to get the foreign body out of your mouth.”

It is important, moreover, not give drink until the child has fully recovered or compress the abdomen.

On the other hand, yes, although you are conscious, you have a weak cough and the difficulty in breathing is very severe, you should call the emergency services immediately.

Coughing is the first symptom of choking and is an automatic reaction of our body freepik

If the infant is conscious

  1. Call 112.

  2. Place the baby face down on the adult’s forearm and on the back, just between the shoulder blades, clap five times.

  3. If the foreign object has not been expelled, apply five finger compressions at chest level.

  4. It is highly recommended to alternate these maneuvers until the object is expelled.

If the child is conscious

  1. Call 112.

  2. Leaning forward, with the head lower than the rest of the thorax, give five blows between the shoulder blades

  3. If the foreign object is not expelled, perform the Heimlich maneuver.

Heimlich maneuver: how is this technique life-saving?

The Heimlich maneuver is exclusively for ages 1 and up.

  1. Stand behind the child and wrap your arms around the waist.

  2. Close the right hand with the thumb near the navel, just in the pit of the stomach (between the navel and the thorax).

  3. Grab the fist with the other hand and press hard inwards and upwards. It is important that this movement is upwards, to help expel the object that has caused the choking.

The (CODEM) explains it graphically in the following video.

If this situation has not been reversed, it is very likely that the child will lose consciousness. Notify the emergency services and begin CPR maneuvers.

If the infant or child is unconscious

  • Perform 30 chest compressions followed by 2 breaths until the arrival of healthcare personnel.

  • If 112 has not been notified, call the minute you start resuscitation.

Fiberoptic bronchoscopy: the medical treatment for choking

The foreign body may become lodged in the pharynx, trachea, or bronchus. Depending on the point where it is retained, it can obstruct breathing to a greater or lesser extent.

When a child arrives with a persistent cough, focal hypoventilation, or bronchospasm that does not improve, the possibility of a foreign body lodged in the airway should always be considered.

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