Warning! Sophie La Giraffe Choking Hazard

[SophieLaWarning]

This is a warning to all parents who are considering giving their child a Sophie La Giraffe teething toy. Don't!!

I just had a terrifying experience with my 6 month old baby. He was happily playing with his Sophie La Giraffe teething toy (the classic giraffe toy) in the living room and I popped into the kitchen to prepare lunch where I could still see him when he suddenly started making choking noises and he had managed to get the front leg stuck in his throat. He was incredibly distressed and making choking noises and I ran over and managed to pull it out of his throat and he burst into tears.

Thankfully he is ok but I am very shaken up by the experience. My DS has never had any problems with the toy until today and I feel physically sick at the thought that I could have been upstairs and not heard him and we could have had a very different outcome. I have just googled if anyone else has experienced this and apparently there have been several incidences of legs getting stuck in throats despite Sophie the Giraffe apparently having all the appropriate safety approvals. I have thrown the toy away and I will be telling everyone I know to do the same. Do not leave your baby alone with this toy!

They also get mouldy inside really easily. Rubbish things! Glad your dc is okay - must have been very scary OP!

Choking is silent, so the fact you could hear him was actually good, even though it was scary and not something you want repeated. If the airway is truly blocked there's no sound. Glad your little one is ok x

Eww that's horrible! I am still shaken up now but starting to calm down. I was given our Sophie toy as a gift and told they were all the rage amongst mums which I am very surprised about.

My DS loved matchstick monkey if you’re looking for an alternative. I never understood the hype around Sophie

Thank you. That is reassuring to know in a way. It was a horrible noise he was making and it was stuck there as he wasn't holding it. I think it is because the legs are long enough to reach the throat so probably wouldn't have been a problem if they were shorter. It is in the bin now anyway.

Sorry I should have added to my original post, I hope you’re okay OP. It must have been very scary. It does sound more like gagging/retching than choking, but still not nice at all, and definitely would have given me a fright.

Choking was always my biggest fear as a mum to young kids.

The mould inside is similar to how those bath toys go manky. Rank!

Thanks for recommendation. I will give Matchstick monkey a go!