‘Triggering’ video shows traumatic moment baby chokes on dummy – as rescuer shares vital advice

A ‘TRIGGERING’ video shows the horrifying moment a baby chokes on his pacifier while lying in his crib, before being able to spit it out.

Former paramedic Nikki Jurcutz shared the “traumatic” video to raise awareness about the safety of dummies and prevent the terrible accident from happening to other little ones.

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The baby shown in the video is safe following the incident and her mother reached out to Nikki after capturing the heart-stopping moment on video.

The rescuer behind Education of little hearts issued a “trigger warning” at the beginning of the clipsaying he was hesitant to share it because it was so shocking to watch.

“I had never thought about that [choking on a dummy] it was even a possibility before,” she wrote in an accompanying post.

“I was holding my breath watching this video sent by this little one’s mother.

“It’s so hard to watch, even though he’s fine.”

Nikki decided to share the video after it prompted her to talk to her husband about ensuring her own baby’s safety when using a dummy.

“It’s led us to be more aware, so I’m sharing it in hopes it does the same for you,” she explained.

The clip shows a baby in his crib struggling to breathe after a dummy gets stuck in his mouth.

The baby makes coughing and choking sounds and becomes sick before – after what seems like an agonizing period of time – he manages to spit out the doll and begins to cry.

Nikki asked parents to take care of the safety of the dummies and make sure the dummies’ guards were large enough to prevent them from fitting entirely into the baby’s mouth.

Other safety measures include regularly checking the mannequin for holes that could accumulate bacteria and only purchasing mannequins that have openings in the shield that allow air to pass through.

“I spent today reviewing the safety of the mannequins and the potential safety concerns they present. There are safety requirements that mannequins must meet,” explained the former paramedic.

“This baby is only seven months old and the doll fits inside its mouth.”

She thanked the little one’s mother who wanted Tiny Hearts to share the clip to prevent the same thing from happening to other people.

‘Harrowing to watch’

Despite Nikki’s warnings, many parents who watched the clip reacted in Horror.

“Could there be a warning in this video?! This is traumatic and very triggering!” one person commented.

Others said they considered unfollowing the page after watching the confrontation video.

One viewer questioned why the baby’s parents didn’t come to help him sooner.

But others rushed to their defense and thanked Nikki for raising awareness about the mannequins’ safety.

“DON’T blame the parents!” one mother wrote.

“I applaud you for warning other parents about this device so this doesn’t happen to another child again.

“None of us are perfect. We all do our best when it comes to raising our children. I’m relieved that the outcome was what it was and that the child is okay.”

Another said: “My heart breaks watching this baby choke for so long.

“There’s a lot to talk about when it comes to keeping our kids safe. Thank you for raising awareness.”

Several parents raised the issue of sleeping in the same room as the baby in the comments.

“This is distressing to watch,” said one. “One of the reasons I prefer co-sleeping is to be closer to my baby.”

Others discussed similar incidents in which dummies got stuck in their babies’ mouths.

“I think it’s very important to have the right size pacifier because I think the risk of this happening is greater when the pacifier is too small for the baby,” said one mother.

“My son’s pacifier got stuck sideways in his mouth while he was in the stroller and I had to remove it.

“He was fine, but we immediately took him out and bought him a bigger one, even though he hated it for a while.”

Another parent chimed in: “Correctly sized mannequins for their age and regularly checking the silicone portion for damage is really key.

“If it’s big enough to not fit in your mouth, has a ring attached, appropriately sized holes, and is in great condition, it shouldn’t be a major concern.”

Is my baby’s pacifier safe?

As she lives in Australia, Nikki described Australian design and construction requirements for mannequins in a blog postthat includes:

• All components of the dummy do not have sharp edges that could hurt babies.
• The shields are minimal in size to prevent them from fully fitting into the baby’s mouth.
• Shields with two or more ventilation holes of a certain size to allow the baby to breathe if the pacifier becomes lodged in the mouth.
• The teat is smooth and prevents liquid from entering or filling the teat, as bacteria can grow and cause infection.
• The dummy ring or strap does not detach from the shield or come apart to avoid choking hazard.
• Parents can easily grab the ring or strap to remove the pacifier if it becomes lodged in the baby’s mouth.

In the UK, the NHS and the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) state that it is generally safe to give your baby a dummy once breastfeeding is well established.

This will usually happen when your baby is around a month old.

As babies have a powerful sucking instinct, pacifiers can help satisfy this instinct outside of breastfeeding.

Some evidence shows that they may even reduce the risk of cot death – which is when a baby dies for no apparent reason.

O NCT says that while experts don’t specifically recommend using pacifiers to protect babies from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), the reduced risk may be due to dummies that prevent babies from rolling onto their stomachs.

But dummies can still pose a shock hazard.

This is because dummies are susceptible to wear and tear and if parts become loose or break, it can become dangerous for your child.