'The leading cause of fatal choking': Paramedic warns against common party item

"If these get stuck in a toddler's airway, they are impossible to move," she warns in the viral Reel.

A paramedic has issued a terrifying warning about a popular party item that could pose a fatal choking hazard to your little ones. 

According to Nikki Jurcutz, who runs the child first aid service, Tiny Hearts Education, the culprit is a seemingly harmless decoration - balloons.

"They're the leading cause of FATAL choking worldwide," according to Nikki.

It's a nightmare scenario that no parent wants to imagine, but it's one that we need to take seriously.

Here's everything you need to know about keeping your child safe around balloons. 

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They're the number one cause of fatal choking. Image: @tinyheartseducation

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"They are impossible to move"

Taking to her Instagram account, Nikki shared a reel demonstrating how a balloon can end up lodged in a toddler's throat.

"Balloons are a massive choking hazard. They are really light, they are wet from the saliva inside. I'm going to show you what happens when they go into an airway," she warns.

She then shows a transparent piece of tube with part of a balloon stuck in it.

"Remember [their esophagus] is a wet, sticky area and also the balloon is wet and sticky. The issue with these non-food items are that they are very difficult to get out. Even with back blows or any type of pressure, it will be difficult to actually remove this from the airway and extract it."

Nikki then tries the back blow technique in action and the balloon doesn't budge.

"These are impossible to actually move," she says, adding more explanation in the text on-screen: "The balloon may move with the back blow but will quickly get stuck to the other side of the airway rather than becoming loose and popping out like we see with other common choking hazards like grapes."

She concludes her video by saying, "We really need to watch our little ones around balloons."

They don't dislodge as easily as other choking hazards, like grapes. Image: @tinyheartseducation

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Prevention is best

Nikki captioned her clip, "You don’t need to do a hard ‘no balloon rule’ although I know some people do."

This is what she recommends instead:

• No playing with deflated balloons
• If it pops, bin it immediately
• Constant supervision when around balloons
• After the party, the balloons go
• Educate your little ones

More tips to say safe

Kidspot also reached out to Sarah Hunstead from CPR Kids for more advice on helping your kids stay safe at parties. 

"In regards to balloons as a choking hazard, they are very dangerous. So many of us don’t realise that something as seemingly benign (and fun!) as a balloon can pose a choking risk," she said.

She continued, "When it comes to balloons, they pose a choking hazard because the pieces of a broken balloon, or a deflated balloon, can potentially cause a complete blockage of the airway.

"Prevention is ALWAYS better, especially when it comes to balloons as they can be quite difficult to remove. Some prevention tips from the ACCC include:

• Keep unused balloons out of reach of children and dispose of deflated and broken balloons.
• Never tie a rubber balloon onto the side of a cot or pram or stroller
• Keep balloons out of reach of young children
• Dispose of any burst balloons to avoid children playing with pieces
• Ensure any strings attached to balloons are shorter than 22 cm so they cannot cause strangulation
• If your child is choking on a balloon, you need to apply choking first aid (Australian Resuscitation Council Guidelines) 
• If your child has a strong, effective cough, encourage them to keep coughing

Meanwhile, Kidspot's resident GP, Dr Sam Hay, agrees you should be cautious around balloons, but says that doesn't mean we need to take the fun out of parties.

"Crikey - talk about the fun police!" he laughs. "I can't help but think this is all a bit of fear-mongering clickbait to get a few TikTok views...

"Little kids put anything and everything in their mouth - it's part of how they explore the world and learn.  ANYTHING small is a choking hazard - and the smaller it is, the bigger the potential damage.

"Sure, put your kids in a bubble (balloon!) and keep them safe - but you won't see them thrive.

"It's all about balance.  Keep an eye on your kids at all times, clean up anything that could be risky and get up to date with your first aid skills."

Originally published as 'The leading cause of fatal choking': Paramedic warns against common party item