Mom Shows Parents How to Properly Slice a Grape After Her Toddler Choked on One

Photo by Eric Peacock/Flickr

Choking on food is a serious concern when it comes to children, especially for babies and toddlers. Just recently, a mom almost lost her son because of a simple grape. Now, she’s gone on to social media to warn other parents about it. 

Mom to 2-year old Jake, Sophie Jackson from England, recounted the horrific incident of “the worst day of her life” on Facebook. Her family was gathered on the sofa eating grapes. Without warning, her son started choking. Sophie immediately gave him first aid but with a whole grape lodged in his throat, Jake turned limp and blue. 

At this point, Sophie’s mom forced a finger down her grandson’s throat. She managed to reach the grape with her nails, pinching it, allowing room for Jake to breathe. He was then able to retch hard, coughing up the grape.

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Sophie says that after rushing her on to the hospital, Jake is now “home and well with just trauma to his throat.” She remembers doctors and nurses telling her that her son was “extremely lucky to be alive.

“Please cut your child’s grapes. Please tell everyone to cut your child's grapes. Nothing is worth the risk of losing them,” she says. Along with this, she posted a photo reminding parents to cut their grapes lengthwise, making the grapes thinner.

Photo by Sophie Jackson/Facebook

Here’s what you should do if you ever find yourself in a similar situation (from the National Health Service of the UK):

• If you can see the object, try to remove it with your fingers; if you can’t, don’t. Poking blindly might push the object further into your child’s throat. 
• If your child is coughing loudly, there’s no need to do anything. Stay by their side and encourage them to carry on coughing until the item is dislodged. 
• If you child become unconscious, proceed to back blows. This video will show you how.
• If black blows don’t work, proceed to chest thrusts. Detailed instructions on how to do this can be found here. 
• Call for help.

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