Doctor shares alarming case of 2-year-old rushed to emergency after pressure cooker whistle triggers choking incident

An alert from a pediatrician on Instagram is getting viral after he posted about a recent experience with a two-year-old patient admitted to the hospital due to what seemed like an insignificant incident at home.In the video, Dr. Dilip Kumar narrates a recent incidence from his pediatric emergency ward. According to him, the boy had a pistachio in his mouth while the pressure cooker whistled suddenly. Due to the shock of the noise, the kid quickly inhaled, causing the pistachio to enter the air passage instead of the food passage.The reason for that, according to the doctor, is because young children do not have the capacity to chew the food appropriately; in addition to that, they have small windpipes which increase the chances of choking.

It was recommended that the parents should not provide whole nuts, whole grapes, popcorn kernels, hard candies or any other food which could obstruct the airways. Furthermore, the doctor suggested that it is not wise to surprise a child during feeding or let them run, jump, play, laugh or speak with food in the mouth.

He emphasized that a lack of oxygen in the body for four minutes could lead to brain damage.

The alarming incident

In the video he shared, "he said, "A pressure cooker whistle is a daily occurrence, but for this two-year-old child in my pediatric emergency, he was just swallowing a pistachio when the cooker suddenly whistled, he was startled and took a sudden, gasping breath."

He further shared, "In this split second, his swallowing reflex was bypassed and the something went into his airway." He was struggling to breathe and he was ventilated and taken for emergency removal of his pistachio. Dear parents, this can be an emergency situation in children less than five years because they cannot chew, so don't give whole nuts, whole grapes, popcorn kernels, or hard candies for a child. So when a child is eating, don't surprise them or make them cough, run, jump, or play.

If oxygen supply is cut off, the brain can be damaged in less than four minutes. So this with every mother, father, and grandparents, unprevent the tragedy come."

Reaction online

This story has started debates online regarding the safety of meals as well as some of the dangers present in some types of foods. According to health experts, while many parents pay attention to the types of food that their children eat, there are some things that should be considered regarding the way their kids eat.

The fact is, children eating in distraction, playing or crying are in danger of choking.There is some advice from experts related to mealtime safety and ways to avoid it. It is recommended that children should be sitting upright when having any meal or snacks, and caregivers should provide small portions of food for them. For example, grapes need to be cut in half, and nuts should not be eaten by children under two years old.Identification of symptoms of choking can also help in saving lives. A choking infant may not be able to cry, talk, or cough properly. The choking infant might grab his/her throat, look in distress, produce a wheezing sound while breathing, and even turn blue in color because of the lack of oxygen. Here, immediate medical intervention is necessary.It is also advisable for parents to learn some basic methods of first aid in order to know how to act at the time of a choking emergency.

The video of Dr. Kumar acts as a caution for everyone that common things that happen in our house can suddenly become dangerous situations for kids. For instance, a whistle of a pressure cooker, the sound of the doorbell, telephone ringing, or any other sound does not matter at all, but it can become hazardous if a kid is having his/her meal.