給食をのどに詰まらせ…１歳児死亡　幼い命を守るために保育現場や家庭で必要な対応とは？　専門家に聞く、もしものときの救急法　北海道

In order to protect young lives, we investigated the dangers lurking in food. Last week, it was revealed that a 1-year-old boy died after choking on stir-fried pork during his school lunch. Masafumi Hashimoto, CEO, Aigran Co., Ltd. "We offer our deepest apologies to the family. We are extremely sorry." The accident occurred at Aigran Takuhoku Nursery School, a licensed nursery school in Sapporo, Hokkaido. Toshiko Nishioka, Director, Aigran Co., Ltd. "We are still investigating whether the food given to the child was appropriate. There are huge individual differences when it comes to baby food. We need to communicate with the parents. The extent of communication will be important, so we are currently investigating this as well." More than three weeks have passed since the incident, but the repeated phrase "we are currently investigating" was the same. Announcer Daiki Horiuchi "It's now past 10:00 a.m., and the third information session for parents has begun." Even at the information session for parents held at the nursery school... Parent Attending the Information Session "They just kept the explanation the same as they did on TV. They said they didn't know the details yet..." (Are you convinced?) "No, I won't. I'm still worried until I see how things develop!" A tragic accident in which a young life was lost. We'll "take another look" at the dangers lurking in children's meals. Aozora, a certified kindergarten, is located in Utashinai City, Hokkaido, about an hour's drive from Sapporo. Director Nagasawa, who cares for 34 children, says the Sapporo accident "is not something that happens to other people." Eiko Nagasawa, Director of Aozora, Utashinai Certified Kindergarten "I thought this could happen anywhere, at home or at the kindergarten." The school lunches for the children are prepared on-site. The menu for this day was curry rice. The director personally "tastes" each meal before serving it. Eiko Nagasawa, Director of Aozora, a Certified Kindergarten in Utashinai "How thick is the soup? Are the vegetables firm? Is there any risk of choking? (Eat it...) It's fine. Please." Lunchtime. First, children are given tea or soup to moisten their throats. Before starting to eat, they need to clear their throats. At Aozora, a certified Kindergarten in Utashinai, nutritionists prepare meals tailored to the size and quantity of each child. Then, just before feeding, the teachers carefully cut and mash ingredients, keeping an eye on the children. This is a meticulous process. At Aozora, a certified Kindergarten in Utashinai, eight teachers care for nine children aged between 0 and 1. They also apparently decide which children each child will be assigned to. Eiko Nagasawa, Director of Aozora, a Certified Kindergarten in Utashinai "Having a regular teacher right in front of them makes the children feel much more at ease, and I think they can eat, live, and even take their naps. If a child isn't eating well today, I might take their temperature. If they're coughing, I might make the food softer instead of forcing them, or add hot water to make it easier to swallow." In case of an emergency, a telephone has been installed in the cafeteria. There's also a direct line to the fire department in the staff room. Eiko Nagasawa, Director of Aozora, a Certified Kindergarten in Utashinai "I think it's important to have multiple eyes, including myself and the teachers who cook and taste the food, to assess the size and softness of the food step by step." According to the Agency for Children and Families, there were 407 fatal cases of "accidental choking" in the five years leading up to 2022. Approximately 80% of these deaths were among infants aged 0 and 1. This is Nursery Yumenoki, a nursery school in Toyohira Ward, Sapporo. In the 0-year-old class, there is one nursery teacher for every 1-2 children. In the classes for children 1 year and older, there is one nursery teacher for every 3-4 children. Nursery Teacher "Some children have trouble chewing and just swallow their food, so I show them my mouth and make 'crunching' movements to help them become aware of the importance of chewing. I also give them water frequently." "Some bean sprouts are quite long, so if I see something like that, I shorten the size... We spend the most time on our work (mealtimes). The younger the children are..." While we take great care when cooking and feeding our children, the nursery teacher revealed that she has had some close calls in the past. Announcer Daiki Horiuchi "Have you ever had a close call?" Nursery Yumenoki Director Miyako Adachi "It happened once since we opened. A child choked on an apple, so we tapped him on the back and he vomited it out. That was the closest I've ever felt." What should you do if your child chokes on food? First, try the "back blow" method. ■ "Back Strike" Method ● Place the child on your arms and knees to stabilize the body and place the head downwards. ● Hold the chin...