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A former paramedic has revealed that Easter treats pose a choking risk to young children.
Education of little heartsLed by mother Nikki Jurcutz who was a paramedic for eight years, she published a potentially life-saving guide for parents, informing them of the dangers of some Easter treats, such as raisin hot cross buns.
Mini Easter eggs, hot cross buns, marshmallows and eggs with nuts inside were on the banned list, while large, hollow eggs and bunnies were considered a safe treat.
Foods that have a sticky consistency are risky because they are harder for children to swallow, can get stuck in the throat, and may be harder to get out if they start choking.
Raisins on hot cross buns pose a choking hazard, and soft bread can soften and stick together, forming a sticky mess in your mouth.
Tiny Hearts Education, run by mom and former paramedic Nikki Jurcutz (pictured), shared a guide to inform parents about the dangers of some Easter treats, like raisin hot cross buns.
Raisins on hot cross buns pose a choking hazard to young children, and soft bread can soften and stick together, forming a sticky clump in the mouth.
Instead, Nikki recommended choosing muffins without small dried fruits and recommended toasting them when serving them to young children, as it can make them easier to chew.
‘Dried fruits such as raisins pose a choking hazard because they are quite hard and can be difficult to chew. You can help reduce the risk by softening the raisins by soaking them in hot water,” Nikki explained.
“It’s safer to offer them when your child has molars and you feel confident in their chewing and swallowing abilities.”
Easter marshmallows are sticky in the mouth and their shape and size can block the airways.
Nikki said children under four should not be given marshmallows, however parents should be careful with older children as choking can occur at any age.
The shape and size of mini Easter eggs can block airways and make it difficult for young children to decompose. Eggs from large eaters are safe as they can be crushed and broken into small pieces.
“It depends on each child and also their ability to chew and swallow,” she said.
Mini Easter eggs, including speckled and foil-wrapped ones, are a shape and size that can also easily block airways and are hard, making them difficult for small children to break.
Similarly, eggs with nuts should be avoided, as they are hard, “can’t be squished,” and whole nuts can get stuck in the airways.
Cadbury Creme Eggs can be crushed and broken into pieces, but the sticky texture of the filling inside can be dangerous.
Nikki gave the green light to large, hollow eggs and Easter bunnies because they squish easily and can be broken into smaller pieces.
Cadbury Creme eggs can be crushed and broken into pieces, however, the sticky texture of the filling inside can be dangerous.
The parents were grateful for the advice.
‘We’ve already told our older children that they “know” that there will be no solid mini eggs this year, just hollow eggs and bunnies to keep their two-year-old brother safe!’ said a mother.
‘Our 16-month-old daughter hasn’t had any sweets yet and I’ve been thinking about letting her have some for Easter. Hollow chocolate is the only thing I’ve really been considering as everything else seems a bit scary to me and this confirms my instincts!’ another wrote.
“So what you’re basically saying is that as parents we have to feed our kids Easter treats… For their safety of course,” a third joked.