AN EX-PARAMEDIC has warned against giving children a certain sweet treat because it poses a serious choking hazard.
Nikki, a parent educator behind Tiny Hearts, deemed marshmallows a high risk choking food.
This is because the little sweet treats are sticky and harder for children under five to break down.
If a marshmallow gets stuck in a child’s airways, it is near impossible to remove it with back blows.
Nikki shared a visual of this in a TikTok video, showcasing how a stuck grape can be dislodged from the airway but a marshmallow can’t.
“When they’re wet, they become more sticky and more difficult to swallow,” she said.
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“And can be more difficult to remove from the airway.
“You can modify marshmallows to make them safer by cutting them into smaller pieces or swap out for mini marshmallows instead.
“Modifying foods is a great way to make foods safer for your little one.”
"Oh my God, I've been giving my three-year-old marshmallows," one mum commented on Nikki's video.
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"Not anymore. Thank you for this information."
"I've never heard about this," another echoed.
"My daughter is four and was just eating marshmallows.
"I’m throwing them away now."
A child dies in the UK every month from choking and hundreds more require hospital treatment, according to GOV.UK.
It can happen quickly and it can happen to anyone.
You can reduce the risk of choking by removing any stones or pips from fruit before serving, and cutting small round foods lengthways into batons.
Similarly, you should remove any bones from meat and fish.
Experts recommend never giving whole nuts or seeds to children under five-years-old.
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