Did you know that according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, choking is one of the leading causes of death for children under the age of three? Common foods such as hot dogs, grapes, and popcorn are the biggest culprits. As a safety suggestion from the AAP, these types of foods should never be consumed before a child reaches five.
With that said, here is a heartbreaking story about a two-year-old girl who has passed away after suffering from irreparable brain damage when she choked on a popcorn kernel.
Mirranda’s family are now trying to raise awareness about the dangers of giving toddlers popcorn amongst other types of food that could pose a potential choking hazard to children.
If you are a parent, please continue reading and share this post at the end.
On the mother’s birthday, she and her husband Pat were in the living room when their daughter — Mirranda, came to them choking on a popcorn kernel. With her eyes bulging, her parents’ panicked because their baby girl couldn’t breathe. The popcorn kernel was deep inside Mirranda’s throat inhibiting her from breathing. Her father began CPR, but by the time paramedics arrived, Mirranda’s heart had stopped.
Despite the fact that Mirranda’s heart stopped for a while, doctors at VCU Medical Center were able to save her. Mirranda survived, but doctors informed her parents that she had suffered from irreparable brain damage. Eventually Mirranda’s health got worse and after her kidneys gave out, the young child passed away.
Although Mirranda has passed away, her family cannot stress enough about the dangers of children ingesting certain types of food. The two-year-old isn’t the first child to choke on a piece of popcorn, but the family hopes that she can be the last.
Before we end this article, we would like to leave you with a few tips on how you can prevent your child from choking.
- Don’t offer high risk foods: big chunks of meat, hard candies, grapes, popcorn, and cheese.
- Supervise the child when they’re eating. This might seem like common sense, but do not let them walk or run while eating.
- Cut their foods up into small pieces or mash them into a paste.
- Carefully evaluate all of their toys and determine which ones may be hazardous.
- Take a class on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and choking first aid for children.
We hope you found this article informative and education. Our deepest condolences go out to Mirranda and her family.
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