Pediatrician mom shows why you should never let your kid play with an ice cube — it could save a life

For many kids, summers mean relishing some fresh ice cubes straight out of the freezer or with their cooler drinks. Parents may perceive this habit as a harmless activity, but a pediatrician mom has weighed in on the latent risks of ice cubes that go largely unnoticed. Despite their melting characteristics, ice cubes are a major choking hazard for young children, and Niky Mama MD (@niky.mamamd) demonstrated how. In a viral clip, she painted a scenario that urged viewers to ponder over a melting ice in real-time and consider the life-threatening risks that may affect the little ones. 

To explain how ice may cause adversities in children, the pediatrician took an average-sized ice cube and tossed it in her mouth, waiting for it to melt. “People think ice is not a choking risk in kids because it would just melt,” Niky stated in an overlay text. Proving the time length an ice cube actually requires to melt, even when inside the mouth, the expert quietly waited for the cube to melt completely. She indicated that this would be similar to a situation where an ice cube is stuck in the esophagus or airway of, presumably, a child or even an adult, risking lives. “This is the amount of time that your child would have no ability to breathe,” Niky, who boasts 583,000 followers on TikTok, added. 

Unlike other foods, kids tend to treat ice cubes like candies and avoid biting them. This behavior, Niky highlights, creates a greater risk for choking. Speaking from her professional expertise, the pediatrician revealed that ice cubes are listed among high-risk foods that should be avoided for toddlers and young children in any event. At 1 minute 15 seconds, Niky showed the state of the ice cube and how far it was from melting into complete liquidity. She revealed that by this point, the affected child would likely lose consciousness, out of breath shortness and would need CPR for survival. Other measures would be chest compressions and breaths. Four minutes of prolonged oxygen deprivation could lead to a serious condition called asphyxiation, resulting in unconsciousness and death. 

Niky stated that after four minutes of no oxygen, the child may suffer permanent brain damage, or even death. This is not even the worst part. If the situation “is not witnessed” and the child is later found unconscious after choking on ice, there is no way to find out what happened. There would be no evidence left for doctors to examine. Hence, Niky advised, “Please do not let your little kids play with ice or even put ice in their open cups.” Even at two minutes, the ice cube sustained the body heat and did not melt completely. She warned adults and parents to never wait for ice to melt in times of crisis. Instead, people can perform “The Heimlich maneuver in children/adults or back blows/chest thrusts for infants to try to dislodge it,” Niky explained. She shared the clip as a crucial life lesson for parents. 

The post was liked by 86,000 people and received a mix of reactions from viewers. “My 5-year-old loves chewing on ice, but this definitely makes me rethink letting him eat it unless it’s a tiny crushed piece,” wrote @terrywolfieg, while @roguetart agreed, “I’m an avid ice eater and indeed did choke on ice as an older kid. It’s scary!” However, @skizzar0ni contested, "I've choked on ice a ton as a kid, it always melted before I died or was injured."

You can follow @niky.mamamd on TikTok for more videos.