Aspirating food or a foreign object into the trachea is life-threatening. A swallowed foreign object (non-sharp, non-corrosive) will come out on the other end, eventually.

A child who presents with a breathing problem should always be evaluated for a foreign body. A mother once took a child to hospital because the child was having trouble breathing. As usual, child was put on medication and oxygen, but the breathing was still noisy (wheeze). A chest xray was done and there was a COIN lodged in the throat! The mother almost fainted because she had not, at any one instance, seen the child swallow the coin!

KNH and the other big hospitals are the only places where bronchoscopy can be done to remove a foreign body in the trachea/larynx.

It takes less that 4 minutes for a child to asphyxiate and die from aspirating food or objects into the trachea.

Culprits: Food, toys, coins, nuts, seeds, buttons, sweets, chewing gum, plastics, peanuts, screws, lollipops, carrots, etc.

LEARN FIRST AID FOR CHOCKING:

1. Give 5 blows to the back. Firmly. Between the shoulder blades. Be gentle, young children are delicate.

2. (If 1 does not work) Hold the child around the waist, fists locked, from the back and push up and in 5 times. (The Heimlich Manoeuvre)

3. You could hold the child upside down by the ankles and lightly tap on the back. Usually, 1 and 2 would have already worked.

4. Repeat 1, 2 and 3 as you wait for help to come or to rush the child to major hospital.

I think first aid should be a COMPULSORY subject taught in all schools.

I hear in some cultures they are Edible

In my house there are so many geckos,they are harmless

I live with them

some are white and u can see their intestines. Some are transparent.

I once chocked on Patco sweet when I was kindu 6 years during lunch time (I had earlier refused to eat ugali-matumbo citing the food looked like big wood worms)...wait till my dad hoisted me upside down and while hitting my back!!! The Patco instead of coming out went straight inside instead)
My mum boughy me coke ndogo biscuits za ndururu (small round ones) to "cure" my throat...

U should have eaten the matumbo u had earlier refused. U must be mummy's pet! Moms r known to be tough. Kwanza anakutandika for the patco alafu unapewa warning. yet deep inside her heart, she was a worried mama when u chocked.

Burp hubby pia after nyonyo

@Mukiri I asked with this 2-3yrs nyonyoing stuff, when should the next one come!!!!!

Whenever one get's a 'let' here in wazua, akina Magigi and crew insist that the next one should be conceived within 6 months!!!