Baby who choked given poor first aid, inquest told

Oliver Steeper died after choking at nursery

The basic first aid practice given to a nine-month-old baby who choked at nursery was "poor", an inquest has heard.

Oliver Steeper died in hospital six days after choking at Jelly Beans Day Nursery in Ashford on 23 September 2021.

The jury heard a statement from an expert in resuscitation, who indicated seven concerns with the first aid that had been administered to Oliver when he was choking.

Prof Charles Deakin said while good practice included firm back slaps and calling for an ambulance, other guidelines weren’t properly followed.

In his statement read by coroner Katrina Hepburn, Prof Deakin raised concerns over the delay in identifying the seriousness of Oliver choking and that nursery manager Debbie Alcock inserted her finger into Oliver’s mouth when there was no obvious sight of food.

The first aid guidelines relevant at the time stated performing taking such actions could worsen the situation.

Oliver choked at Jelly Beans nursery in Ashford in September 2021

Prof Deakin also said once Oliver turned blue and became unconscious, conventional breaths in CPR should have been performed rather than sharp breaths.

He added: “It cannot be concluded that a higher standard of first aid care given to Oliver would have made a difference to the outcome.”

The inquest also heard that a “significant amount of food debris” was found in Oliver’s airways after he choked.

An examination performed on Oliver by Dr Paul James, a consultant at the Evelina Children’s Hospital, found more than half of his airway was constricted.

Food was found in his main airways and both lungs

When asked what the appearance of the food was that was found, he said it was a “white soft gelatinous material” which was not easy to suction.

The inquest previously heard that Oliver, who only had two front teeth, had been eating pureed meals at home, and his parents had been assured by nursery workers that solids could be blended before being fed to him.

The jury heard Oliver’s key worker at the nursery, Loetta Collins, said she had not received training about the size the food should be served.

Ms Collins said she was “content” that the pieces of penne pasta bolognese she chopped were small enough.

Another member of nursery staff, Nazia Begum, told the inquest she had been feeding Oliver and three other children at the same time.

Ms Begum previously told the inquest her first aid qualification was more than a year out of date.

Oliver with his mum Zoe Steeper

Debbie Alcock, the manager from January 2020, previously told the hearing nurseries were only required to have one person with paediatric first aid training on site but she wanted everyone to be trained, and was prioritising those with no previous training.

A pathologist's report, read by coroner Ms Hepburn, concluded that choking led to Oliver suffering a cardiac arrest and "unrecoverable neurological damage".

The pathologist confirmed "fragments of food were removed from airways" and that Oliver had no underlying disease that predisposed him to a choking episode.

He was taken to the William Harvey Hospital before being transferred to Evelina Children’s Hospital, in London, where he died, six days after he choked.

The inquest in Maidstone continues.

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