Was reading this news on 9mo baby choking

[katerose2022]

And feeling a bit confused... are they supposed to be eating solids at this stage or not? Our baby boy is also 9mo with just two front teeth but we've been giving him finger food...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3gqqprv7y3o.amp

This is an awful news story. Nursery staff should be first aid trained to deal with any choking.

By 9 months even those who started on puree will be on lumpy food. My dc were on mashed and shredded family meals. Plus rusks have been given from 6 months.

It's very sad but nurseries will be giving lumpy food at 9 months.

Fgs, have some compassion! This poor family gave instruction and whatever you did with yours or what you think she should have been doing is irrelevant. I really do despair that some of you can't put your own thoughts aside and stop yourselves from making comment about how her baby should have been eating. Poor child has lost his life due to nursery incompetence, debating the merits of how you did things is hardly helpful or sensitive.

Of course our thoughts are with the family.

My thoughts are with the nursery workers too though, who may have been negligent but who may have also been caring, dedicated workers who were in the wrong place at the wrong time and now face trial by social media. Children (and adults) can choke even when everything is done perfectly.

No one is criticising the parents, we're just holding off on criticising the nursery staff, because being blamed for the death of a child is no small thing, and not a suitable topic for MN chitchat.

It is correct that there is an investigation, and if anyone was at fault then they should face the consequences of that, but we don't have enough information at this stage from media reports to reach that conclusion.

All we can say at this stage is that it's utterly tragic, and it's correct that a full investigation takes place so that lessons can be learned. And of course that our hearts go out to the parents, who have conducted themselves with dignity.

I just find it grotesque how so many are comparing notes on how they did things at such an inappropriate time. Yet again, no decorum to be found. The only focus right now should be on extending love and thoughts to the family, not one upmanship.

There's no decorum in saying the child lost his life due to nursery incompetence. We don't know that yet, maybe he did, maybe he didn't. Time, and expert opinion, will tell.

Well, they incompetently followed instructions they agreed to, so there's that.

And that doesn't mean that they were maliciously negligent, but perhaps that means that there needs to be more honesty between parents and nurseries about what they are able to achieve in that kind of setting for children who don't fall neatly in to milestones.

She's grieving and is placing blame on the nursery.

She didn't communicate well with the nursery.

It is normal for solids and finger foods to be given from 6 months, and very much expected for a 9 month old.

Really sad story.

Indeed, expert opinion, not gossips on here speculating how and what he should have been eating.

Including whether or not his death was due to him being given unsafe foods.

She’s grieving and blaming the nursery.

As she should.

Read today's testimony from the inquest. The staff didn't perform correct first aid. I'd say that was incompetent.

Have you got a link @xyz111?

https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2024-05-15/carer-of-baby-who-choked-at-nursery-had-expired-first-aid-certificate-inquest

Thank you. Am I reading it right that they cut up the good into small pieces and then fed it on a spoon? I thought that wasn't advised because it's a choking hazard?

If you Google the Oliver Steeper Foundation there is more info there too

My DD was on purées at nine months. She had been poorly and it was like she had forgotten how to eat solids. So we went back to purées.

The nursery worker was feeding four children at once, her first aid qualification had expired.

Nursery staff need to remember they are meant to be care givers to someone else's child. They need to follow the parent's requests and adhere to what the baby can manage. They are not there to force things, by all means make suggestions and give advice when asked, but don't force things. It is quite obvious what could happen when feeding.

Babies have been given non-pureed foods for millennia... Blenders didn't exist in 1532 ...

It's a very sad story. Sounds like the food wasn't prepared properly for the baby's age.

OP if you've already started giving finger foods safely, there's no reason to stop. I'd highly recommend the solid starts app, which shows you how to prepare food to avoid choking.

It really doesn't matter what anyone else has done. The baby hasn't read the book saying they "should" be on lumps.

This baby needed purees.

Is it right that they were feeding him pasta? At 9 months I'd offer pasta as a finger food but not feed it to them. If you're feeding then I thought it was lumpy or mashed food at this age?

Yes and it wasn't even spaghetti, which is smaller and generally softer.

I'm pretty certain that they pre-chewed food for weaning babies.

Indeed! My grandma used to do that.

Some are ready others aren't. Our slowest wasn't ready until 10 and a half months, fastest was at 8 months.
It's like any other milestone, you wouldn't take a slow to walk baby and stand them up and let them fall to the ground just because most are walking by that age, if they aren't ready then they aren't ready.