AN OXFORDSHIRE safety group is reminding parents to supervise their children whilst eating Mini Eggs as Easter approaches.

The chocolate product is not suitable for children under four years-old, and First for Safety Oxfordshire has recommend that parents always supervise their children aged up to 10 years old who eat them.

Writing on Facebook, a spokesperson for the group said: "At First For Safety we love Mini Eggs as does our son, now age 7 but please remember they are a serious choking hazard and with Easter fast approaching they're everywhere.
"Mini Eggs are not suitable for children under 4 years and we would advise that you always supervise children eating them up until the age of 10 years.
"Revise your choking drill too."


The campaign was backed by some concerned parents.
Kathy Hamilton said: "I will not buy any at all for any of the kids."
Jenny Sandford added: "Supervise the eating, and you can cut them which helps reduce the risk of choking.
"Or alternatively, eat them all yourself."
Kate Cutler wrote: "Not even worth it - shouldn't be on the shelves."

The warning comes as a mother's plea to other parents on website Mums Advice has come to light. 

In the heartbreaking post, the mother writes: 

"You’ve all seen the warnings about cutting up grapes before giving them to your children, a lot of schools even place notes in packed lunches if they are not cut the correct way and the meme of how to prepare grapes is forever shared across social media.

"With Easter coming up I want to warn you all about another deadly choking hazard, one that tragically took away my child.

"It has been just short of three years since my precious little girl Sophie passed away she had choked on a mini egg and I was unable to dislodged it, even with back slaps and pushing up and under her ribs."

She says her daughter, Sophie, was five-and-a-half years-old when she passed away.

It's the second warning for parents in a day, after a host of children's charities spoke out about the so-called 'Momo challenge' sweeping the internet. 

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What to do if a child is choking

It's a terrifying situation no one wants to find themselves in. Here is some advice from the NHS:

If you can see the object, try to remove it. Don't poke blindly or repeatedly with your fingers. You could make things worse by pushing the object further in and making it harder to remove. 

If your child's coughing loudly, encourage them to carry on coughing to bring up what they're choking on and don't leave them.

If your child's coughing isn't effective (it's silent or they can't breathe in properly), shout for help immediately and decide whether they're still conscious.

If your child's still conscious, but they're either not coughing or their coughing isn't effective, use back blows.

Back blows for babies under 1 year

Sit down and lay your baby face down along your thighs, supporting their head with your hand.

Give up to 5 sharp back blows with the heel of 1 hand in the middle of the back between the shoulder blades.

Back blows for children over 1 year

Lay a small child face down on your lap as you would a baby.

If this isn't possible, support your child in a forward-leaning position and give 5 back blows from behind.

If back blows don't relieve the choking and your baby or child is still conscious, give chest thrusts to infants under 1 year or abdominal thrusts to children over 1 year.

This will create an artificial cough, increasing pressure in the chest and helping to dislodge the object.

Chest thrusts for children under 1 year

Lay your baby face up along the length of your thighs.

Find the breastbone and place 2 fingers in the middle.

Give 5 sharp chest thrusts (pushes), compressing the chest by about a third.

Abdominal thrusts for children over 1 year

Stand or kneel behind your child. Place your arms under the child's arms and around their upper abdomen.

Clench your fist and place it between the navel and ribs.

Grasp this hand with your other hand and pull sharply inwards and upwards.

Repeat up to 5 times.

Make sure you don't apply pressure to the lower ribcage, as this may cause damage.

Following chest or abdominal thrusts, reassess your child as follows

If the object still isn't dislodged and your child's still conscious, continue the sequence of back blows and either chest or abdominal thrusts.

Call out or send for help, if you're still on your own.

Don't leave the child.

Call 999 if the blockage doesn't come out after trying back blows and either chest or abdominal thrusts. Keep trying this cycle until help arrives.

Even if the object has come out, get medical help.