Dead in 3 Minutes: Choking as a Lead Cause of Death in Babies

Imagine the nine-month period of a woman carrying a pregnancy, the painful process of delivery, and the healing of wounds that one has to watch out for to avoid infections, painful cracked nipples and baby blues that lead many to postpartum depression. Nothing after this ought to go wrong, not after all the pain.

Well, when a baby is born, it’s called a bundle of joy, so no new mother expects anything less. Only thing is, they are not born with manuals of how to bring them up.

New mothers and caregivers, therefore, need to be taken through simple first aid procedures to be able to save their children when faced with danger.

When a child dies when a nanny is feeding them, does it make the nanny a killer or Negligent? No. The nanny, just like any other untrained help, does not know the correct procedure to help. This is the case with many parents and nannies; they lack the basic knowledge of how best to act when their child chokes on food.

Choking is a Lead-Cause of Injury and Death among Children below 4 Years

Choking is a leading cause of injury and death among children, especially those that are younger than 4 years of age.

Food, coins, and toys are some of the most common things that children choke on. Small toys that can fit into a baby’s mouth are a danger to keep in a baby’s environment.

A policy statement published in the February 22 online issue of Pediatrics from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), led by a doctor at Nationwide Children’s Hospital took a closer look at preventing choking among children.

Why are Babies Most Vulnerable to Choking?

According to the published pediatric statement, children are most vulnerable to choking because their small airways are easily obstructed.

Babies may not be able to cough forcefully to release whatever is obstructing their airways which makes it fully the responsibility of the caregiver.

Babies are also not able to properly chew with ease and rushing their feeding makes it a challenge for them to chew which is most likely to get them choked.

Babies love to stuff their mouths and taste whatever is in their environment in their exploration, so keeping small toys or objects of any kind that could fit in their mouth is exposing them to the danger of choking.

There are also health conditions that make children more prone to choking such as neuromuscular disorders, developmental delays, and traumatic brain injury.

Read Also: Epileptic Attacks: Separating Facts from the Myths

Preventing infant choking

• Avoid introducing solid foods to babies when they have no motor skill to swallow. This is one of the reasons exclusive breastfeeding is encouraged for the first six months of life.
• Supervise mealtime. Avoid having the child eating while running around; instead, remind them to chew properly before swallowing.
• Do not allow your child to throw food in the air and catch it in his or her mouth, or stuff large amounts of food in his or her mouth. This is very risky.
• Evaluate the size of your child’s toys, some of the NOT HAVES in a house with a child include latex balloons as they pose a hazard when not inflated, Kinder Joy toys, marbles, small building blocks, coins, batteries, pen caps and any other toys that contain small parts or toys meant for older children.
• All toys have guidelines for the age limit that is safe for the child, so ensure to check the age limit written on the toy package.

What should I do to Save the Life of a Choking Baby?

If your baby is choking and can’t breathe:

• Assume a seated position. Hold the infant face down on your forearm, which is resting on your thigh.
• Thump the infant gently but firmly five times on the middle of the back using the heel of your hand.

The combination of gravity and the gentle back blows should release the blocking object.

• Hold the infant face up on your forearm with the head lower than the trunk if the above doesn’t work.
• Using two fingers placed at the center of the infant’s breastbone, give five quick chest compressions.
• Repeat the back blows and chest thrusts if breathing doesn’t resume.
• Call for emergency medical help.
• Begin infant CPR if one of these techniques opens the airway but the infant doesn’t resume breathing.

Statistics on Infant Mortality

Between November 2017 and October 2018, according to data drawn from the country’s health information system, Kenya lost about 10,241 newborns in the year.

The 2014 Kenya Demographic Health Survey put neonatal mortality at 22 deaths per every 1,000 live births.

While 15,000 babies die every day, the number could be reduced as most of the causes are avoidable through training of how well to handle a newborn baby and first aid measures to enact when the need arises. Nairobi’s mortality is nearly double the national number at 39 neonates dying per 1,000 live births.

Institutions that Train on Basic First Aid

There are institutions that train on basic first aid such as St. Johns in Nairobi and Jazza Training Centre on Kiambu Road at Runda.

First aid training is crucial for anybody who handles children or babies of any age. It is wise to ensure the nanny you leave your children with is well informed on basic first aid practices so that she can be in a position to save your child’s life in case of any emergency.

Read Also: Joseph Gichunge: Jazza Centre’s Journey of Impacting Lives While Building a Business Empire