Paramedic’s urgent warning about ice cubes: ‘People need to know this’
A former paramedic has warned parents not to give ice cubes to children under the age of four as they pose a choking risk.
Nikki Jurcutz, founder of Tiny Hearts Education, says people often think ice cubes aren’t a choking hazard because they “just melt away.”
However, the mother of two explained that a child would still be deprived of oxygen for ten minutes if an ice cube were to enter the airway.
‘Ice cubes have properties that make something pose a high risk of choking. It’s smooth, it can be round in shape, it can get stuck in the mouth,” she explained.
“But I’ve had parents ask me if it’s safe for children because it still melts if they choke on it.”
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Former paramedic Nikki Jurcutz (pictured) has warned parents not to give young children ice cubes. She said they pose a serious choking risk
Nikki said parents should consider how long it takes for an ice cube to melt in their child’s mouth.
“That’s how long a child choking on an ice cube would have to go without oxygen if we just waited for it to melt,” she said.
“I wouldn’t wait for the ice to melt, I would start first aid at the first sign of a choking child.”
She said a child can lose consciousness if an ice cube remains in the throat for one to three minutes.
After three minutes without oxygen there is damage to the neurons in their brains, while the four-minute period risks permanent brain damage and a coma for about 20 minutes is likely.
Nikki uses her wealth of knowledge after working as a paramedic for eight years to teach parents child safety and first aid through her organization Tiny Heart’s Education.
Nikki said people may think ice cubes aren’t a choking hazard because they will “melt,” but a child could be deprived of oxygen for up to 10 minutes if one gets stuck in the airway.
In the event of a child choking, Tiny Hearts said if they don’t have an effective cough, they should immediately call 000 and perform back blows to clear the obstruction.
Place the child head down on your lap for babies under 1 year old, or sitting or standing for children between 1 and 8 years old.
Give up to five short and sharp blows to the back with the heel of one hand between the shoulders and check the airway between them to see if the obstruction has cleared.
Parents were grateful for Nikki’s potentially life-saving advice, with many saying they had often dealt with ice cubes in the past.
“My 19-month-old son loves ice cubes and I’ve never thought about this,” said one mother.
‘Our oldest choked on an ice cube. Lucky Hubs knew how to do backstrokes. Shortly afterwards I did my first aid course!’ another wrote.
“When I was a kid, I accidentally swallowed a huge ice cube, and it got stuck. Scared me to death and I still remember the pain of it,” a third added.