Baby died after nut shell became trapped in throat
A seven-month-old baby died after a pistachio nut shell became lodged in his throat leaving him unable to breathe, an inquest was told.
Gauravdeep Bassi had been crawling on the floor at his home in Hill Top, West Bromwich, on November 17 last year when he put the shell into his mouth.
Smethwick Coroners Court yesterday heard the baby's mother Rajwinder Kaur had immediately called for an ambulance.
But while paramedics had arrived within three minutes, Mrs Kaur said they had not attempted to remove the object from the child's mouth.
The inquest was told crews may 'not have been fully aware of the situation' and the shell had not been removed until arrival at Sandwell Hospital.
Attempts to revive the youngster were unsuccessful.
Pathologist Tamas Morton said the shell had been lodged in the baby's throat for more than 21 minutes.
"All of my observations show there was no underlying medical condition," he said.
"However any findings in cases such as this are not specific so in this case I have to rely on circumstantial evidence.
"I would give the medical cause of death as accidental airway obstruction."
Mr Morton told the court the baby's life might have been saved if an emergency tracheotomy had been carried out while en route to the hospital.
Senior coroner for the Black Country Mr Robin Balmain adjourned the inquest to hear from a representative from the ambulance service.
Mr Balmain said he wanted to know if crews were trained to give this procedure and to hear more about how paramedics responded in this case.
The inquest heard from Mrs Kaur who said she had been in the house with her sister and nephew at the time.
She said they were all in the same room.
"I was cleaning away toys at the time and I do not know when the baby got down on the floor," she said.
"No-one saw him pick up the shell. I heard his breathing and knew something was wrong.
"I did not know it was a nut shell I just knew he had put something in his mouth.
"I called for an ambulance."
Mrs Kaur said before crews had arrived she and other members of the family had tried to dislodge the object by patting her son on the back.
On the advice of ambulance service staff on the phone they had also carried out chest compressions until paramedics had arrived.
"When they arrived they checked his breathing and his neck and took him straight away."
Mr Balmain said: "I am not going to conclude this case today.
"I want to hear from the ambulance service."
The inquest will resume at a date still to be set. West Midlands Ambulance Service has declined to comment until have to the conclusion of the inquest.
