Urgent warning issued to any parents who feed their children pigs in blankets
A nanny has warned that pigs in blankets at Christmas time are not the perfect treat for young children, especially those under five.
According to the nanny, the popular festive food can be be potentially dangerous for young children, and she actively avoids having them at home. TigerLily, a First Aid training provider in the UK, reported that iIn 2021, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) recorded 276 deaths due to choking (as of August 2022)". This data can be split between food-based choking and 'other objects', with the latter data showing a rise of almost double in the past two years compared to previous years."
Whilst figures are low, Danielle, aka the Enchanted Nanny, has learnt from her job over the years that many things can be a choking hazard for young children and the festive period is not a time to treat this lightly. Pigs in blankets, sausages wrapped in bacon, is one of those hazards that you probably didn't expect but according to Danielle, it's not safe for young children because of the shape of the sausage and added bacon can be quite stringy and cause retching.
Speaking to her TikTok audience she said: "They're literally a combination of two of the most chokeable things that we sometimes offer to our children. Sausages are the perfect cylindrical shape to get stuck in the airway or windpipe. They don't break down, and it's difficult to retrieve them. Bacon doesn't break down when children chew it, so the fat will often cause a little bit of a choking or retching hazard.
If she does serve pigs in blankets she said she chops everything up "really really tiny," to avoid any hazards. Other things that can become choking hazards according to her are button batteries. In her video, Danielle says she doesn't even allow these in her home and reminds those buying presents not to buy toys that contain small batteries.
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Her suggestion is to gift vouchers instead, or wooden toys that don't need batteries. Another suggestion from her includes getting a fake tree, whilst controversial it can be safer for children and pine needles can be sharp from a real tree and could potentially end up in a young child’s mouth. She added that they can: "poke the back of the throat or the roof of the mouth, cause swelling and cause a lot of problems".
Another hazard that you probably didn't see coming is marshmallows, she said: "As soon as they go in the mouth, or as soon as they go in a hot chocolate, they do start to become sticky and heat up." She advises "melting them as much as possible" before offering them to young children or avoiding them altogether and not giving them to young children dry.
You may need to reassess your snack draw and even fridge because Danielle has labelled popcorn as a choking hazard, she said it's, "very easy to inhale into the airway" as well as a cheese board, specifying hard cheeses and grapes which usually come with a cheese board as unsafe.
Parents will know that grapes are one of the biggest choking hazards of all. Any cheese boards in the house with children should have grapes that have been quartered on them so they don't get stuck in any little throats. Whilst you may avoid Brussel sprouts altogether, if you do dish them out this Christmas, Danielle advises cutting them in half and overcooking them to be softer for safety.
Boiled sweets and even sweet wrappers can be hazardous according to the nanny. She labelled lollipops as "sugar-coated marble" but also said sweet wrappers which often get balled and can end up on the floor can be picked up by babies or children.
Even Christmas crackers can be a danger, especially if there are small toys that can end up in baby's mouths. And last but not least Danielle warns that Christmas wrapping itself is a hazard, she said: "I know that you will see the mums with the bin bag at Christmas, ready for all the wrap and packaging - have a big box instead because obviously the bin bag itself is a hazard.
Adding: "And while we're distracted and there's a lot going on - all these things can happen very, very quickly." You can find advice on how to help a child choking on the NHS and TigerLily websites. If there is severe choking immediate action may need to be taken.
According to TigerLily "severe choking" is when someone will not be able to talk, cough, cry or breathe. They will usually show signs of distress, be grasping at their airways and potentially show a change in skin tone around their face and lips, age will impact the action that is taken to help.
Children under 1 year:
Back blows
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Sit down and lay the infant face down along your thigh or forearm, supporting their torso and head with your hand,
Give up to 5 sharp back blows with the heel of 1 hand in the middle of the back between the shoulder blades.
If 5 back blows do not dislodge the object, start chest thrusts:
Lay the infant face up along the length of your thighs,
Find the breastbone and place 2 fingers in the middle,
Give 5 sharp chest thrusts (pushes), compressing the chest by about a third.
Children over 1 year:
Back blows
For younger children, lay them face down on your lap as you would an infant,
For older children, support the child in a forward-leaning position,
Give up to 5 sharp back blows with the heel of 1 hand in the middle of the back between the shoulder blades.
If 5 back blows do not dislodge the object and the patient is still conscious, start abdominal thrusts:
Stand or kneel behind the child. Place your arms under the child's arms and around their upper abdomen,
Clench your fist and place it between the navel and ribs,
Grasp this hand with your other hand and pull sharply inwards and upwards,
Repeat up to 5 times.
Once the item is dislodged you should stop but you should still seek medical help. If the item is not dislodged you should seek medical help and start the cycle again.
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