Huddersfield toddler Adam Milner choked to death on a sausage at nursery

Dec 3 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A TODDLER died after choking on a piece of sausage at a Huddersfield nursery.

Two-year-old Adam James Milner couldn’t breathe after food blocked his airway at Portland House Nursery in Lindley.

Four days later his parents Vicky and Steven Milner had to make the agonising decision to turn his life support machine off and he died on August 23 this year.

The tragedy was outlined at an inquest yesterday, before it was adjourned.

Coroner Roger Whittaker said he needed expert evidence on treating choking patients and adjourned the inquest until the New Year .

Adam’s parents decided to donate their son’s liver to save the life of another child.

Before being adjourned, the inquest heard evidence from Dr Peter Hall, who is a consultant surgeon at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

Dr Hall told the inquest: “The blockage needs to be removed within a few minutes really, for a chance of complete recovery because there’s no oxygen going in and out.”

He said after 20 minutes the likelihood of a death was dramatically increased.

Dr Hall said he was the second doctor to examine Adam after the tot arrived by ambulance to the Accident and Emergency department of Huddersfield Royal Infirmary on August 19.

The first doctor had inserted a tube into Adam’s throat to try and resuscitate him but had not noticed the piece of sausage, about an inch long, lodged in his throat.

Dr Hall later removed it with forceps.

He told the inquest the sausage would have most likely dislodged and moved further up the throat after the oxygen tube was inserted.

Dr Hall was not able to give the inquest a clear picture of critical response times for choking patients.