Aussie paramedic Nikki Jurcutz’s urgent warning to other parents as she shares harrowing vision of a baby in a cot choking on its dummy
An ex-paramedic with children of his own has shared confronting images of a seven-month-old baby choking on a doll alone in his crib, with no one around.
You can see the baby in distress, gasping for air in the middle of the night before spitting out the pacifier.
Now former paramedic Nikki Jurcutz is using the images as a warning to others.
Ms Jurcutz worked as a paramedic with Ambulance Victoria for eight years and now teaches new parents about hidden dangers with the help of her sister.
Nine years ago, the two launched Tiny Hearts Education, a baby first aid course to teach parents how to respond to emergencies.
The disturbing images have even made Ms Jurcutz reconsider how she would use pacifiers with her own baby.
Nikki Jurcutz worked as a paramedic for eight years before starting her own safety training company with her sister, called Tiny Hearts Education, which provides first aid training for babies
The former paramedic and mother uploaded footage of a seven-month-old baby choking on a pacifier at midnight as a warning to other first-time parents
She started her explanation with a “huge trigger warning” before diving into the reality of why the issue needed to be discussed.
“I had never thought before that this was even a possibility,” she said.
‘I wasn’t going to share it, but then I showed it to my husband and we started talking about what we would do to make sure our baby, who has a pacifier, is safe.
‘It has triggered us to become more aware, so I hope it will do the same for you.’
Nanny Cam footage shows the baby struggling to breathe and waving his arms and legs with the pacifier stuck in his throat, before miraculously causing the baby to cough on his own.
The baby then started crying loudly.
Since receiving the images from the baby’s mother, Ms Jurcutz has shared more vital information about how to stay safe when using a pacifier.
“I’m so glad this mom shared it with me and allowed me to share it with you because it has put the conversation about dummy safety front of mind for a lot of our minds,” she says. told 7News.
After spending a day delving into the matter, she highlighted several potential safety issues and the strict regulations manufacturers must adhere to.
Since receiving the nanny cam footage from the baby’s mother, Ms Jurcutz has researched safety issues surrounding pacifiers and discovered that the ACCC has guidelines for their production.
She has now uploaded safety tips and warnings to Tiny Hearts Education’s Instagram so other parents can avoid facing similar situations
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission requires all dummies sold in Australia to meet safety requirements that minimize the risk of danger.
These include requiring at least two ventilation holes in the shield to allow air to pass through in the event of choking, a ring to help a parent remove it if it becomes stuck, and size requirements that help prevent it falls into the mouth.
Other rules state that pacifiers should not have sharp edges and that the teat should be smooth to prevent the entry of bacteria that can cause mold growth.