A 9-month-old baby from Beit Shemesh died of asphyxiation on Monday, after choking on what doctors said was a small stone.

She had been taken from her home to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem in critical condition. There, doctors pronounced her dead.

“After prolonged efforts at resuscitation that began in the field, a foreign object that had obstructed her breathing was extracted, amid continued resuscitation efforts,” the hospital said.

A Magen David Adom paramedic who arrived at the scene said the baby was unconscious and without vital signs when medics arrived, “after having choked while eating.”

The paramedic, quoted by the Kan public broadcaster, said: “With the help of advanced equipment, we extracted a bit of food from her throat, gave her life-saving medical attention, and transferred her to the hospital while carrying out resuscitation efforts.”

Though MDA initially reported that the girl had choked on a bit of food, doctors at the hospital extracted a small stone from her airway, reports said.

She was the second child to die of asphyxiation in the country this year, according to the Beterem organization for children’s safety.

“I ask of parents: Don’t say, ‘It won’t happen to me!’ To avoid choking, you must prevent the child from having access to coins, watch batteries, small games or toys that disassemble into small pieces,” said the organization’s director, Orly Silbinger, in a statement.

She said that “when it comes to meals, the food must be matched to the child’s age and eating ability. Until age 5, you must avoid small foods that could get stuck in the respiratory passage or block it.”

Parents must be attentive and follow all precautions, Silbinger added.

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Shaare Zedek Medical Center

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