It’s amazing the sorts of treasures one finds on the Internet. A particular favorite of ours, now making the rounds on the web and social media, might be this latest gem called “The Chokeables,” a public service-meets-Wallace and Gromit-type video fantasy into the realm of child safety. More specifically: the dangers of small, minuscule items that pose choking hazards to babies and infants.
The video, created by St. John Ambulance, one of the U.K.’s leading first aid charities that teaches proper first aid techniques to upwards of 800,000 people annually, employs the talents of none other than Sir John Hurt (better known to kids as Ollivander from the Harry Potter movies) and two additional British actors. The accomplished thespians lend their voices to the very toys and objects parents need to be aware of around the house, things like pen caps, marbles, broken crayons and nuts.
Amazingly, “The Chokeables” has racked up more than 4 million views by way of YouTube, Facebook and Twitter in its first ten days since going live; the video has been shared more than 150,000 times via St. John Ambulance’s Facebook page; and St. John’s estimates that 20.9 million people have watched the video in its first week on television.
And thankfully so: the video comes at a time when new research shows that 79 percent of parents don’t know the correct technique of tending to a choking baby, despite 58 percent that say choking is major fear for them, and 40 percent that say they have witnessed it happening.
The relatively simple video (a must-see, in our opinion, for parents and adults, including daycare workers and babysitters) provides a quick snapshot of what to do in a crisis scenario, teaching parents the proper way to assist a child in the event of a choking incident. Here’s how to save a choking baby:
- Lay the baby face down on your thigh, giving up to five generous back blows
- Should that method fail, turn the baby over and give him/her up to five chest thrusts until the airway is clear
- And if the chest thrusts don’t work, call 9-1-1
“The Chokeables”—at just a mere 40 seconds—might seem like a small tick of time to encompass the grasp of the necessary safety precautions, but the brilliance of this little clip is its simplicity, providing just enough instruction in a visually engaging way for adults who have little time to spare on a day-to-day basis.
According to British publication The Mirror, seven people have saved choking babies thanks in part to “The Chokeables.” So after you’ve watched “The Chokeables” video, share it with friends and family!
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