Babies have a tendency to put anything, including small objects in their mouths, with the risk of suffocating. In fact, suffocation is one of the leading causes of accidental death for children under 14. Babies lose consciousness very quickly, so it is important to know how to clear their airways effectively with the Heimlich maneuver. If this intervention is not sufficient to remove the obstruction, it is necessary to go to cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Steps
Step 1. Recognize the symptoms of choking and learn to identify them quickly
- A child may choke even if he can gasp with his mouth open. The skin becomes bright blue or red especially on the face.
- If you can cough or make sounds, your respiratory tract is partially blocked. This could happen if the food is not channeled into the esophagus but into the trachea. In this case, coughing may be effective in removing the foreign body.
Step 2. Call 119 especially if you are concerned that the child is not breathing or that you think he is having an allergic reaction
Step 3. Use the area between the wrist and the palm of your hand to tap the baby's back and try to remove the obstruction
Try to hit between the shoulder blades.
Step 4. Begin the Heimlich maneuver by kneeling or standing behind the child
Step 5. Make a hand into a fist to perform the maneuver correctly
Place your fist on his abdomen slightly above the navel, your thumb must be close to his stomach.
Step 6. Place your other hand over your fist
Push the fist inwards and upwards of the abdomen several times.
Step 7. Repeat the strokes between the shoulder blades and the Heimlich maneuver until the foreign body exits the child's mouth
He should start coughing and breathing heavily when the object has been removed.
Step 8. Continue to try to remove the obstruction if neither the Heimlich maneuver nor the blows to the back are successful
Step 9. Look inside the victim's mouth and try to find what closes his airway
If you can see the object, use your finger to try to remove it.
If the obstruction does not release, the child may lose consciousness
Step 10. Start cardiopulmonary resuscitation if the baby does not respond when you call him by name or shake him a little
Put him on his back on a flat, sturdy surface.
Step 11. Kneel near his feet (or stay standing, depending on where he is lying)
Step 12. Lift his chin as you push his forehead down
Step 13. Put your ear near his mouth in search of minimal breathing
Check if the chest rises and falls.
Step 14. Blow air with two short breaths into the baby's mouth to try to revive him
Close his nose with your fingers and completely cover his mouth with yours. Each puff should last 1 second. Make sure his chest rises when you blow
Step 15. Remove the clothes covering his chest to perform the compressions required by CPR
Step 16. Place the base of the palm of your hand in the center of the victim's chest and do 30 compressions
The chest should drop to approximately 1 / 3-1 / 2 of its normal depth. Let the breastbone return to its normal position after each compression.
Step 17. Repeat the resuscitation cycle with two breaths for every 30 compressions
Step 18. Open the baby's airways after each period by lifting his chin
Check to see if the foreign body has become visible as you approach the baby's mouth.
