A mother has taken to Facebook to share the story of when her six-month-old daughter "choked" on the legs of a Sophie the Giraffe teething toy and the post has gone viral.
Katie Jones, who uploaded a photo of the toy and a description of what happened, explained that her daughter, Paige, was happily chewing on the popular rubber teether.
But when she went to grab something from the kitchen, Jones returned to see her daughter had "become quiet and lifeless".
She wrote: "When I checked on Paige she was turning blue. Paige had got the whole of one of Sophie's legs lodged down her throat.
"I had to unhook it free and pull out the leg from the back of her throat. I was absolutely terrified."
The mum explained that she had purchased the same teething toy for her eldest daughter before, so had no worries doing the same for her second daughter.
Continuing the post, Jones wrote: "I gave some firm pats on my daughter's back and this made her throw up and take a breath.
"I've never felt so terrified in all my life and never in my life could I have foreseen this happening."
Jones said her daughter was too young to remove the leg herself and could have suffocated.
She added: "Please note my daughter is fine. Yet the memories of it will stay with me forever."
A spokesperson from Sophie the Giraffe UK told HuffPost UK Parents: "We became aware today of this individual’s Facebook post on 9 July.
"No complaint has been made and they have not been in touch with us as of yet. Reading the Facebook post, we understand there has been no injury or harm caused. We take safety very seriously and thoroughly investigate any complaints we receive.
"Sophie la girafe® is not a choking hazard.
"The toy undergoes mandatory safety testing regularly and meets all European and worldwide safety standards for use by babies from birth + - which includes a detailed choke hazard analysis.
"The safety standards and analysis are precise and they conclude that Sophie la girafe® is not a choking hazard."
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Since being posted on 9 July, the post has had nearly 3,000 shares with many parents commenting on it and thanking the mother for sharing her story
In an email to Yahoo Parenting, Calisson Inc., the American distributor of Sophie the Giraffe, said Sophie is not a choking hazard: "Sophie the giraffe complies with all U.S and European safety standards for children for over 50 years and is a wonderful toy."
