A former paramedic has revealed the little-known choking hazard about which parents should be mindful.
Nikki Jurcutz, who worked as a paramedic for eight years with Ambulance Victoria, explained the potential dangers of feeding young kids cucumbers as it poses a high choking risk.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Paramedic’s grave warning about cucumbers.
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“Let’s talk about the top choking hazards. We’ve all heard about grapes, blueberries and carrots but cucumbers are ones that are less likely to be known,” the mum said in a TikTok video.
“Cucumbers aren’t talked about much when it comes to choking so I wanted to shed some light so you feel more prepared.
“Cucumber is a high risk choking food. Why? They’re hard, they’re slippery and they can break off into chunks.”
Jurcutz, who runs an Australian children’s safety page called Tiny Hearts Education, issued the warning after a mum saved her child’s life after the child was choking on a piece of cucumber.
“Never in a million years did I think that I would actually need to do back blows...” the mum told Jurcutz, along with a picture showing the cucumber on the floor just moments after it was lodged in her child’s throat.
The former paramedic urged parents to learn first aid so they knew what to do in the event of a choking emergency.
“You don’t think it will happen to you. But if it does, we’ll make sure you know exactly what to do,” Jurcutz said.
“Don’t wait until something happens. Learn the skills to save your child today.”
Jurcutz said there were different techniques to safely prepare cucumbers for kids to prevent the risk of choking.
“Grating cucumbers is a great way to make them more safe for your little one,” she said.
For babies and toddlers, she suggested steaming cucumbers until soft, then serving as a puree.
Other methods include thinly slicing them into circular or rectanglar shapes.
“Cut them into wide, thin pieces,” she said.
“For older cucumbers, try grating or cut into slices when you’re comfortable with their chewing abilities.”
How to do back blows
According to Tiny Hearts, if bub is conscious, you need to give back blows and chest thrusts.
For a bub aged 0-1, lay them across your lap on their tummy with their legs higher than their head.
In the centre of the back, between their shoulder blades, give five sharp back blows with the heel of your hand, gradually increasing the strength of each one as you go.
Make sure to quickly check bub’s mouth between each one to see if you’ve dislodged the object.
If you have, roll the baby to the side and sweep the object out of their mouth - using one finger for a younger baby, two for an older infant.
For a child aged 1-8, the management is exactly the same, except instead of putting them across your lap, sit them on the edge of a seat and lean them forward.
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