Little Aria Fernie turned a sickly shade of blue and lost consciousness after swallowing her tongue while in the care of Bright Beginnings nursery.

The tiny girl had been under the weather for several weeks and her mum Sharon had told staff about her daughter’s illness, which doctors had diagnosed as a viral infection.

Although Sharon says she was worried about Aria’s condition she never expected her baby to take such a terrifying turn for the worse.

The mother-of-two, from Faifley, was at work on Friday afternoon when she received the phone call every parent dreads.

The South Avenue nursery told the Sharon, a qualified psychiatric nurse, not to worry and that Aria was in the safe hands of an ambulance crew who were taking her to Yorkhill Hospital for treatment.

But it was only later when Aria’s condition improved that Sharon heard all the details of what happened and realised just how crucial the nursery staff’s actions had been.

She said: “As far as I’m concerned they saved Aria’s life and if it hadn’t been for them I wouldn’t be a mother-of-two today, I’d be a mother-of-one.” Senior nursery practitioner Anne Marie Kirkwood was working alongside colleagues Susan Holmes, Nicola Duffy and Joanne Cowan when Aria took unwell.

Anne Marie, who has been employed at Bright Beginnings for 10 years, described the moment when an otherwise ordinary day turned into a drama that could have ended in tragedy.

The 29-year-old said: “I could see straight away that Aria wasn’t herself. She was just kind of sitting there and I asked the girls how long she had slept for and they said she had slept a wee bit longer than usual.

“I phoned Sharon to let her know and we decided to give her 5ml of paracetamol. But within five minutes Joanne came through and told me Aria was taking a wee fit. When I came in the girls had already acted really fast in administering the first aid procedure.

“Joanne phoned the ambulance and myself and Nicola stayed with Aria. The ambulance arrived within minutes but before that Aria went blue and stopped breathing.” Despite the potential for disaster they remained calm and followed the telephone instructions of the 999 operator. One of the nurses placed her finger on the stricken baby’s tongue and that helped her come round.

Anne Marie continued: “Aria started crying and asking for her mummy. The crew arrived and placed her on oxygen before they took her away in an ambulance. Joanne went with Aria to Yorkhill and met Sharon there.

Reflecting on the experience on Monday, Anne Marie added: “We are all trained to deal with situations like this but it is still scary when you have to put what you have learned into practice. All the girls acted so quickly and professionally and we are all so glad that Aria is ok.” It’s understood Aria suffered what is know as a febrile seizure, which is a fit that can occur when a child has a fever. According to the NHS, it’s a relatively common childhood condition and not serious in most cases.

Sharon meanwhile was in no doubt about the magnitude of the nursery nurse’s efforts.

She said: “I chose this nursery very carefully and I’m so glad I did because if the girls had not acted as they did I don’t think Aria would be here. I can’t thank these girls enough. I know Aria is 100 per cent safe in their hands.” NHS advice If your child is having a febrile seizure, place them in the recovery position. Lay them on their side, on a soft surface, with their face turned to one side. This will stop them swallowing any vomit. It will keep their airway open and help to prevent injury. Stay with your child and try to make a note of how long it lasts.

If it is your child’s first seizure, or it lasts longer than five minutes, take them to the nearest hospital as soon as possible or call 999 for an ambulance. While it is unlikely that there is anything seriously wrong, it is best to be sure.

If your child has had febrile seizures before and the seizure lasts for less than five minutes, phone your GP or NHS 24 on 08454 242424 for advice.

Try not to put anything, including medication, in your child’s mouth during a seizure as there is a slight chance that they might bite their tongue.

Almost all children make a complete recovery, and there is not a single reported case of a child dying as the direct result of a febrile seizure.