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.

Ahsante dakatari, I have always known it that way.......6 months exclusive breast feeding, from all the experts I've talked to, lakini hii ya 2-3yrs ya Mukiri itakuwa ngumu......it brings unnecessary competition in the house!!!

I think if you do it past 2 years, mtoto anaanza kuwa mjinga ama sirri.

Mine at 2years plus used to wait when we are in church na priest has just started the sermon for the day, She would look at me scratch her stomach , touch my boobs and then shout "Mami, Nyonyo".If I didnt act immediately,she would raise her voice with the same words causing a scene.