Danger of small toys: Mum saw blood pouring from sleeping toddler's throat

A mum who put her toddler to sleep was surprised to hear a weird gargling sound after a while. Somehow, it didn't feel right.

She looked into the child's mouth, only to see a tiny object at the back of her throat….

"I still feel guilty and I am still shaking…"

Mummy Maddy Grantham shared her scary experience a year ago on Facebook, "I still feel guilty and I am still shaking. But I thought rather than beat myself up I will make awareness. Most of my friends have kids so I hope I can at least save another."

Maddy went on to reveal that her daughter Maya was 2.5 years old at the time of the incident, and had stopped putting things in her mouth a year ago.

"She's got a lot of tiny toys 'that she plays with under strict supervision, she likes to line them up, feed them, put them in little beds etc…'"

Maddy confessed that most of the toys were for children three years old and above, "Is there really that much difference between a three-year-old and a little girl who is three in four months?! I strongly believe this could happen to a child of any age which is why I'm sharing."

In the post, she recalled what happened that fateful night, "Last night somehow she managed to smuggle one up to bed with her, she must have put it in her mouth and fell asleep because I'm just laying feeding my 11 month old next to her and I hear a weird gargling noise."

"I immediately sat bolt upright and looked in her mouth to see this tiny toy at the back of her throat. I quickly yell to Damion and he's there within seconds telling me to phone an ambulance…"

The father tried to dislodge the toy, she shared, but "It's not coming out. He has tried everything and it's not budging, he flips her back over and blood pours from her throat.

"Right at that moment I thought she's dead, this must be a dream, this can't be happening. As soon as Damion saw the blood he literally got his finger to back of her throat and pulled it out.

"The ambulance came and took her in, she's fine. She probably has cuts in her throat where the toy was lodged and she was so very distressed after.

"I can't stop thinking what if. She was lifeless and she was so nearly gone obviously all said toys are now in the bin, she will be spot checked every night and I feel like the worst mum in the world, please be careful…"

TOY SAFETY TIPS FOR TODDLERS

Maddy's story is indeed frightening, and a lesson for all of us parents.

It is a reminder to not be complacent when it comes to your little one's safety.

Did you know that every year many kids are treated in hospital emergency departments for toy-related injuries?

Choking is a risk for children aged three and below, because they tend to put things in their mouths.

PARENTS, HERE ARE SOME TOY SAFETY TIPS FOR TODDLERS TO KEEP IN MIND:

• Before giving  the toy to your child, read the age label, warnings, safety messages, and assembly instructions.

Warning labels give important safety information about how to use a toy and what age it is for. Show your child how to use the toy.

• For little children, especially those below three, avoid toys with small parts, which could pose a fatal choking hazard.

To determine whether a toy poses a choking risk, try fitting it through a toilet paper roll.

If a toy or part of a toy can fit inside the cylinder, it's not safe.

• Double check that there are no loose parts, broken pieces, sharp edges, or scratched, faded, or peeling paint.

Check toys regularly to make sure that they aren't broken or unusable. Throw out any toy that is broken or falling apart.

Be cautious about toys containing button batteries or magnets.

Children can have serious stomach and intestinal problems - including death - after swallowing button batteries or magnets. Keep button batteries and magnets away from young children and get medical assistance immediately if your child swallows one.

• Avoid marbles, coins, balls, and games with balls that are 1.75 inches (4.4 centimeters) in diameter or less.

These can get stuck in the throat above the windpipe and make breathing difficult.

• Remove tags, strings, and ribbons from toys before giving them to young children.

A cord can too easily wrap around a young child's neck, causing strangulation. 

• As much as we love their colour and bounce, balloons can be a serious hazard, especially for younger kids.

Children can choke or suffocate on broken or uninflated balloons.

When ingested, uninflated balloons or pieces of burst balloons can form a tight seal in a child's airway and make it impossible to breathe. Do not allow little children to play with them.

• Avoid toys with toxic materials that could cause poisoning​​​.

Make sure the label says "nontoxic."

• Battery-operated toys should have battery cases that secure with screws so that kids cannot pry them open.

Batteries and battery fluid pose serious risks, including choking, internal bleeding, and chemical burns.

• Avoid toys that shoot objects into the air.

They can cause serious eye injuries or choking.

• Avoid toys that are too loud, which may damage young ears.

This article was first published in theAsianparent.