2023-12-29 10:16:00
Choking is the third cause of unnatural death in children, especially those under 5 years of age. Pediatricians ask to take special care during Christmas and offer guidelines to act in case of danger.
If you witness choking with suffocation, it is recommended to immediately call 112 and follow four fundamental steps to save the child’s life. EFE/ Villar López
The latest data from National Institute of Statistics (INE) They point out that in 2020, 12 children died from drowning, asphyxiation or suffocation. Choking accounts for about 17% of unnatural deaths in this age group and that is why pediatricians ask for extreme caution at Christmas with certain foods.
The risk of these accidents is very high because after choking with suffocation, there is only 4 minutes to avoid irreversible injuries to the brain and 8 to prevent brain or complete death of the minor.
Most of these events could have been prevented and therefore, the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) has decided to create a new Life Support Committee (CSV)formed by a multidisciplinary team in which pediatricians who are experts in emergencies, endocrinology, neurology, neonatology, traumatology, surgery, primary care and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, among others, will work in coordination.
The main objective of this committee is to develop guides and action protocols aimed at both families and professionals.
The expert affirms that the committee was created with the desire to achieve that first aid reaches the citizensGreater knowledge about the guidelines that must be followed in these situations spreads among the population.
“In consultation we receive countless questions about first aid,” says Dr. Ignacio Manrique, coordinator of the CSV.
“Many even decide to search for information on the Internet on their own and that is sometimes worse, because the advice can come from unreliable sources,” he laments.
Be careful at Christmas with these foods!
Los nuts or candies with foods that are very popular at Christmas parties. However, experts explain that extreme precautions must be taken, especially with children under five years of age, to avoid choking at Christmas.
“Nuts should carry the same warning as medicines: they must be kept out of the reach of children, especially seeds, peanuts and cashews,” recommends the Dr. Carlos de la Torre, pediatric surgeon at the La Paz University Hospital in Madrid.
Children under five years of age should be prevented from eating grapes on New Year’s Eve or follow the recommendations for doing so. EFE/Villar López
As the specialist explains, choking on grapes on New Year’s Eve is a scene that is repeated during these holidays in Pediatric Emergencies.
In this sense, the skin of the grape makes it easier for it to slide through the pharynxreaching the entrance to the trachea, where it can remain adhered.
Sometimes, by imitation, children pick whole grapes and drink them without anyone noticing, until they start coughing.
The specialist explains that in addition to monitoring, removing the skin and seeds from the grapes, it is advisable to cut them into halves or quarters, depending on the age of the child.
Other safe options to avoid choking at Christmas are: grits worms or raisins. “We will always avoid confectionery or the typical colored chocolates in the shape of a button,” he adds.
The specialists of the AEP They also suggest taking special care with the custodylos hard candy of the parades, the beaded braceletslas beanthe pieces of very small toyslas decorations that have tiny pieceslas button batteries waves Christmas bingo balls those we play with at home with the family.
How to act in case of choking
If, despite having taken preventive measures, we see that choking occurs, we must follow the following steps:
Call to emergency (112). Keep calm, do not touch or shake him and encourage him to cough. If we see that the cough is not effective in expelling the sucked element and, when opening the mouth, we see it viable to extract it with our hands, we do. If it is not clear to us that we can remove it without pushing it in, or the child is under one year old, it is better not to try. Throw out the child forward and give 5 sharp blows on the back (between the shoulder blades). If none of this works, we will try to practice the Heimlich maneuvers, as long as the child is over 1 year old: Hug the child from behind, from his height (or we put him on a chair or we get on our knees). Make a fist with your hand and place it, with the thumb facing the child’s stomach, between the navel and the lower point of the sternum. Grasp the fist with the other hand and quickly compress inward and upward to force the object to be ejected. Repeat as many times as necessary.
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