On Tiktok, a trained first aider warns of the danger of an accessory that we all use for children’s birthday parties. What are the risks and what accessory is it?
We all use them for children’s birthdays or family celebrations: balloons to inflate. If at first glance they are harmless party accessories, they actually pose a major security concern when they are in the hands of young children. Indeed, on the social network Tiktok, a former paramedic, Nikki Jurcutz, who specialized in parental training in first aid gestures for children, shared a video to alert on the hazard what the balloons represent. According to his expertise, “they are the main cause ofchoking mortal in the world”. The risk is real especially when a very young child picks up and ingests a piece of balloon which has been burst or which has not been inflated.
What happens when a piece of balloon is swallowed by a child?
In the video, shared on the @tinyheartseducation account, ex-rescue worker shows netizens what happens when a piece of balloon gets stuck in a baby’s throat or a young child, which is represented in image by a plastic tube. “Balloons are a huge choking hazard. They are very light and wet with the saliva they contain. The esophagus is also a wet and sticky area”, explains Nikki Jurcutz.
Once the balloon pieces are swallowed by the child, “he is very difficult to get them out. Even kicking the back or applying any kind of pressure will make it difficult to pull the balloon out of the airway and out,” as it can be possible when a child chokes on a grape seed for example, she adds.
“Balloons pose a huge choking hazard.”
What should I do if my child is choking on a balloon?
Commenting on her video, the rescuer recalls that the prevention in this type of domestic accident is important. If a child is choking on a piece of balloon, she advises perform first aid gestures, using the CPR method (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation), which is generally used in the event of cardiac arrest. For this, it is necessary toperform 30 chest compressions on the child and then give two breaths of air into the child’s mouth. Alternate 30 chest compressions and two breaths until help arrives.