Toddler Almost Dies After Hair Clip Gets Stuck in Her Airway

A mother is speaking out about the terrifying moment when her toddler nearly choked to death on a hair clip.

New Zealand mom Rebecca Fitzgerald told Mommyish.com that she heard her 1-year-old daughter, Charli, wake up on the baby monitor only moments before the toddler suddenly went quiet.

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"She just stared at me just vacant and just trying to gasp for air. And she was just really floppy, no noise, just every now and then you would hear this gurgle which meant then there was a tiny bit of air getting in, but obviously just not enough," Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald immediately called for emergency medical assistance and then ran outside screaming for help. However, nobody heard her. She tried hitting Charli on the back in an attempt to dislodge the clip, but it was the paramedics that eventually saved the day.

According to paramedic Lucy Kershaw, when a child is choking, the best thing to do is to put the baby slightly head down over your leg. Hit them sharply in the back, between the shoulders blade to try and dislodge whatever object is choking them, she told TVNZ.

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"The amount of force required is varied, but they're quite sharp and you want to be checking each time to see if the obstruction is released," she said.

If the object doesn't come out after five blows, do five chest compressions to keep oxygen moving to the child's body.