Are disposable nappies a choking hazard for kids?

Coles has taken swift action to remove a potentially dangerous brand of nappies from its shelves following an incident involving Dry Fit Day and Night nappies.

Mum Alexandra Mayock thought her 10-month-old was peacefully napping but decided to check on her anyway. What she saw terrified her: her daughter was choking.

Lily was sitting up in her cot covered in fraying material. The white material was in her mouth and she seemed to be trying to eject it using her tongue. Her mum scooped her up and cleared her mouth of the debris. She could see that the fraying had come from the nappy she was wearing.

She was still shaking when she contacted Coles who offered her an instant refund. However she also wanted to warn other parents whose babies may be at risk.

She decided the best way to reach as many mums as possible as quickly as possible was to use social media. She posted the following photo and message on Facebook:

"HUGE WARNING TO ALL PARENTS/CARERS!

Today I went in to get Lily from her cot and there was fraying ALL OVER HER and she was CHOKING ON IT. This is SUCH A SAFETY HAZARD! I am still shaking - I did call Coles and complain and they happily refunded my money but what if I hadn't gone in to check her? She wasn't making any noise because she had started choking being unable to breathe because this crap was down her throat! She could have died! I am so furious!!!! DO NOT BUY THESE NAPPIES!!!!!!!!!!"

The post went viral and was shared 35,000 times in less than 24 hours.

Coles responded quickly 0n their Facebook page:

"We were very concerned to see the post earlier today (Thursday) about the issue one of our customers had with a Coles Dry Fit nappy. We know this will also be a real concern to you which is why we have immediately withdrawn the product from sale while we urgently investigate what might have caused the problem.

No other nappies are affected. As always safety is our number one concern."

When we contacted Alexandra Mayock she said she was 'absolutely mentally exhausted' from the incident and the process of making Aussie mums aware of the danger. However she agreed to talk to us because she feels so strongly that we need to do better when it comes to potentially dangerous baby products.

She says she knew Facebook would get the warning out there. "I had seen previous posts spread fast so I decided to post the evidence photos on Facebook."

Coles also contacted her to ask for the remaining nappies from the packet for the purposes of an investigation and to inform her that the product had been removed from all shelves nationwide. When she heard this news she posted the following on her Facebook page:

When asked how she feels about social media and parenting she said she feels it plays an important role these days. "I think it's great that parents can Liaise with one another and discuss topics and each others opinions. Unfortunately some parents do judge one anther on said opinions but I don't think anyone can stop that."

Now that she has had some time to reflect on the terrifying incident, Mayock says she'd consider using cloth nappies in future. "The upfront cost is daunting varying on which brand you go for but in the long run it's cheaper and better for the environment. I was told that the ACCC released a statement saying there are no safety regulations or nappies in Australia which is absolutely horrifying.

Always go with your gut. If I hadn't checked on Lily she would have died."

Mayock says Lily is fine now and her mum is pretty sure she doesn't remember the incident. "She is fine and healthy and has no prolonged medical issues."

Are you a cloth nappy or a disposable nappy mum?