If you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to give first aid to a choking baby, it is important that you are prepared. The recommended procedure is to give blows to the back, chest or abdominals to remove the obstruction, followed by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if the child does not respond. Be aware that there are different procedures to follow based on the age of the child, above or below the year of age. Both are listed here.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Assess the Situation
Step 1. Let the baby cough
If he is coughing and retching it means that his airways are only partially blocked, so he is not completely devoid of oxygen. In this case, let him cough, as coughing is the best way to clear the obstruction.
If your baby makes choking sounds and is old enough to understand you, try giving him instructions on how to cough and show him so he can help himself
Step 2. Look for symptoms of choking
If the baby is unable to cry or make noise, his airways are completely blocked and he cannot free himself from the obstruction by coughing. Other symptoms of choking are:
- Producing a strange high-pitched sound or inability to make any sound.
- Clench your throat.
- The skin turns red or blue.
- Lips and nails turn blue.
- Loss of consciousness.
Step 3. Do not try to remove the foreign body with your hands
Whatever you do, never try to remove the object by putting your hands in the child's throat. You could make the object stick even deeper or damage its throat.
Step 4. Call 911 if possible
Once you are satisfied that the baby is choking, your next step is to call the emergency services. If the baby is without oxygen for too long, he loses consciousness, and brain damage and even death could occur. It is important to intervene as soon as possible by trained personnel:
- If possible, have another person call 911 while you provide first aid. In Europe, the international emergency number is 112, while inquire about the emergency number of other foreign countries if you travel abroad.
- If you are alone with the baby, however, start giving first aid immediately. Do this for 2 minutes, then stop and call for help. Start the emergency procedures again until the professionals arrive.
- Note that if the child suffers from any heart disease or suspects that he may have allergic reactions (in which the throat closes), you must immediately call the emergency services even if you are alone.
Method 2 of 5: Provide First Aid to Children Under One Year of Age
Step 1. Put the baby in the correct position
When rescuing a baby under 12 months it is important to support their head and neck at all times. To put the baby in a safe position, recommended by professionals, do the following:
- Slide your arm under the baby's back so that your hand supports his head, and his back rests against your forearm.
- Put the other arm over the baby safely, in this way he will be in your arms. Firmly place your upper hand on the baby's face so as to grasp his jaw with your fingers without closing the airways.
- Gently turn the baby on its stomach while keeping it in your arms. Always keep his head by the jaw.
- Rest your arm on your thigh for more support and to make sure the baby's head is always lower than the body. You are now in the correct position to pat on the back.
Step 2. Give 5 back blows
These create pressure and vibrations in the child's airways and are often sufficient to unblock the foreign object. Here's how to hit a baby under 12 months of age correctly:
- Use the base of the hand to firmly strike the baby's back, between the shoulder blades. Make sure you give your head the right support.
- Repeat the movement up to 5 times. If you are unable to remove the object like this, switch to chest pressures.
Step 3. Change the position of the baby
Before performing chest compressions you need to turn it around. Here's how to do it:
- Put your free arm (the one you used to hit the back) along the baby's back, and grab his head with your hand.
- Gently turn it over on itself, keeping the other hand on his forehead.
- Lower the arm supporting the baby's back so that it rests on your thigh. Make sure his head is lower than the rest of his body.
Step 4. Do five chest compressions
In this way, the air contained in the lungs is forced out and can push the obstruction out. To properly perform compressions on a child under one year of age, follow these steps:
-
Place the tips of 2-3 fingers in the center of the baby's chest, just below his nipples.
Do First Aid on a Choking Baby Step 8Bullet1 - Simultaneously squeeze down and up, applying enough pressure to lower the baby's chest by 3-4 cm. Wait for your chest to return to its natural position before repeating the set of compressions.
- When performing compressions, make firm, controlled movements, not jerky ones. Your fingers must always keep contact with the baby's chest.
Step 5. Continue until the foreign body is removed
Alternate 5 blows on the back with 5 chest compressions until the obstruction begins to move and the child cries and coughs or until help arrives.
Step 6. If the child has lost consciousness, start child CPR
If the baby is not responding and help has not yet arrived, you need to take action to begin CPR. Caution: CPR for children differs from CPR for adults as it is designed for small children.
Method 3 of 5: Carrying out Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation on Children under one year of age
Step 1. Check if you see an object in the baby's mouth
Before starting CPR, you need to make sure the baby's mouth is clear of any objects that were choking him. Lay the baby on his back on a firm, flat surface.
- Use your hand to open the baby's mouth and look inside. If you see something, remove it with your fingers.
- Even if you don't see anything, go ahead with the procedure.
Step 2. Open the baby's airways
You can do this by using one hand to tilt the baby's head back and the other to lift his chin. Do not tilt his head too far back: it takes very little to open a child's airways.
Step 3. Check for breathing
Before starting CPR, you need to make sure the baby is not breathing. You can do this by placing your cheek very close to the baby's mouth with your eyes turned to his chest.
- If he is breathing you should see his chest rise and fall.
- Plus you should hear the sound of his breathing and the air on his cheek.
Step 4. Give the baby two breaths
Once you are satisfied that the baby is not breathing, you can start CPR. Cover his mouth and nose with your mouth and gently blow air twice into his lungs.
- Each puff should last for about a second and you should see the baby's chest rise. Take a break between the two insufflations to allow the air to escape.
- Remember that babies' lungs are very small - you don't have to blow too much air with too much force.
Step 5. Do 30 chest compressions
Once the two breaths have been performed, leave the baby lying on his back and use the same technique as the chest compressions you used before, i.e. apply pressure on the chest with your fingertips so that it drops about 3-4 cm.
- Press down on the baby's breastbone, right in the center of the chest just below the nipple line.
- Chest compressions should follow a rate of 100 per minute. This means you should do the 30 compressions, which follow the insufflations, in about 24 seconds.
Step 6. Take two more breaths followed by 30 compressions and repeat as needed
Repeat this cycle until the baby starts breathing and regains consciousness, or until help arrives.
Even if the baby has started breathing again, he needs medical attention to make sure he hasn't suffered any damage
Method 4 of 5: Provide First Aid to Children Over One Year of Age
Step 1. Give five hits to the back
To give first aid to a child over one year old, sit or stand behind them and place your arm across their chest in a diagonal position. Have him lean forward on your arm. With the base of the hand from the five distinct strokes on his back between the shoulder blades. If the foreign body does not come out, move on to abdominal compressions.
Step 2. Do five abdominal compressions
This type of compressions is also called the Heimlich maneuver and consists in forcibly letting the air out of the lungs to try to expel the foreign body. It is safe for children over one year of age. To do the Heimlich maneuver:
- Stand or sit behind the baby and hug him around the waist.
- Close a hand into a fist and place it on the baby's stomach just above the navel, the thumb must be inside the fist.
- Put the other hand on your fist and quickly push inwards and upwards on the baby's abdomen. This maneuver forces the air from the lungs to the outside and should remove the obstruction.
- For younger children, be careful not to squeeze the breastbone as it could cause injuries. Keep your hands just above the navel.
- Repeat the maneuver 5 times.
Step 3. Continue until the obstruction is removed or the child starts coughing
If, on the other hand, he is still choking after 5 compressions, repeat the entire procedure (from the blows on the back) until you are able to remove the foreign body, the child is coughing, crying, breathing or help has arrived.
Step 4. If the child is unresponsive, do CPR for children
If you are not breathing and have lost consciousness, you need to be activated for the CPR procedure as soon as possible.
Method 5 of 5: Performing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation on Children Over One Year of Age
Step 1. Make sure there are no objects in the baby's mouth
Before starting CPR you need to make sure your mouth is clear. If you see something, take it off with your fingers.
Step 2. Open the baby's airways
Secondly, fold the baby's head back and lift his chin. See if he is breathing by placing your cheek over his mouth.
- If he breathes, you will see his chest rise and fall, you will hear the sound of his breath and the air on his cheek.
- Do not proceed with CPR if the baby is breathing on his own.
Step 3. Give two breaths
Close the baby's nose with your fingers and cover his mouth with yours. Make two puffs of about 1 second each. Make sure you take a break between one breath and the next to let the air out of the lungs.
- If the emergency breaths are working, you should see the baby's chest rise.
- If the chest does not rise, it means that the trachea is not free and that you must return to the procedures described above to remove the obstruction.
Step 4. Do 30 chest compressions
Start by placing the base of the hand on the baby's breastbone, just below the nipple line. Put the other hand on the first and interlace your fingers. Place your torso perpendicular to the arms and start the compressions:
- Each squeeze should be quick and firm and the chest should drop 5cm. Wait for the chest to return to its normal position between one compression and the next.
- Count each squeeze out loud, it will help you keep the pace. You should have a rate of 100 compressions per minute.
Step 5. Alternate breaths with 30 chest compressions for as long as necessary
Repeat the sequence until the baby begins to breathe or the emergency services have arrived.
Advice
Remember that it is always better for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid to be carried out by trained people who have received qualification after an accredited course - you will not be qualified by reading this article alone. Call the Red Cross in your area if you want more information about these courses
Warnings
Back patting is not recommended for any choking victim, although these instructions are intended for infant use. This common practice is more likely to cause more damage by pushing the object even deeper into the throat
Related wikiHows
- How to Give a Newborn Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
- How to Perform the Heimlich Maneuver
