Parents warned of life-threatening dangers of giving squeeze food bags to toddlers

PARENTS have been urged not to leave their little ones unattended with squeezable food bags.

They’re a great tool for families on the go, but one expert warned they actually pose a choking hazard.

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Pediatric nurse and mom Sarah Hunstead said you should never give your child the cap of groceries.

Post on the CPR kids On her Instagram page, she explained: “It’s important for everyone to be aware – no matter what type of closure your yogurt, fruit bag or reusable bag has, they should never be handled by a child as they all pose a potential choking hazard.

“Once you open them, throw them straight in the bin, and if they’re reusable (we love reusable bags!), always put them straight in the sink or somewhere out of the reach of children.”

She added that a mother reached out to the page after being told mushroom-shaped lids were not a choking hazard, which Sarah ruled was wrong.

The NHS says jars and bags of baby food can come in handy when you don’t have much time or are out with your child.

But they say if you use sachets then you should always squeeze the contents onto a spoon.

“Don’t let your baby suckle directly from the pouch as this can contribute to tooth decay”, guidance Conditions.

Sarah’s warning comes after a report found that different types of lids are used on the bags.

These were either mushroom-like lids that were slightly larger, or lids the same size as a toothpaste topper.

Regardless of the lid, make sure your child is supervised when consuming the product and remove the lid before diving in.

Choking is a life threatening situation and it is important that you know what to look out for in children as they are not always able to express their feelings.

If your child has swallowed something and is choking, one of the first things to look out for is if your child is clinging to their chest or throat and is having trouble speaking.

Notice if their face is turning pale or bluish, and if they’re coughing profusely, that’s a sign they’re trying to remove anything that’s stuck.

Younger children may have a high-pitched sound when they inhale.

Know what to do when a child is choking could be life saving.

Red Cross experts said to remember the five-hit rule: “Hit her hard on the back between the shoulder blades.

“Backblows create intense vibration and pressure in the airways, which is often enough to clear the blockage. Releasing the blockage allows them to breathe again.”

If the child is small, you will need to place them across your lap and perform up to five powerful back blows with the heel of your hand mid-back between the shoulder blades.

If the five back punches don’t work, you need to try five stomach thrusts.

To do this successfully, hold the child by the waist and pull inward and up past the belly button.

This pushes the air out of the lungs, hopefully releasing the blockage.

The NHS says: “This will create an artificial cough, increase pressure in the chest and help remove the object.”