A baby who is choking is every parent's nightmare, but knowing what to do allows you to take prompt action in the event that you encounter this situation. Although the Heimlich maneuver is used for adults and older children, it is not possible to practice it on infants - in this case, you must perform a series of percussion with the baby face down.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: React Quickly
Step 1. Determine if the baby is able to cough
The first thing you need to do when you see a child with breathing difficulties is to understand if they can cough or if they are making sounds. If he can do this, allow him to cough in an attempt to unblock the object obstructing the airway. If you are concerned about his breathing skills and find that he is unable to expel the foreign body, you should call for help immediately.
If the baby coughs vigorously or cries a lot, Not practice the procedure described below in an attempt to clear the airway. Just check it carefully until you are sure that the obstruction has been cleared. Be prepared to intervene if symptoms worsen or persist.
Step 2. Check the baby's breathing
In case he is unable to cough, cry or make no sound, you should check if he is breathing. Danger signs of choking are a weak, ineffective cough or high-pitched sounds when the baby tries to breathe in. See if your skin turns blue, loses consciousness, or desperately waves your arms without making a sound; check your chest quickly to make sure it rises and falls, also listen for the sound of the breath.
- If you can see the obstruction in the baby's mouth or throat and the item is within easy reach, you can remove it but don't feel inside the baby's throat. If not, you could push the foreign body even deeper.
- You shouldn't try to grab and pull the object out if the baby is conscious.
- If the baby has lost consciousness, remove any visible obstructions from his mouth and start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until the ambulance arrives. Remember that in the early stages you will feel some resistance during artificial respiration, until the foreign body is removed.
Step 3. Call the emergency services
If the baby is choking, you should call an ambulance before you start giving first aid. If possible, ask someone else to call while you clear the little victim's blocked airway. If you are alone, cry out to get someone's attention, but never leave the baby alone and continue to perform the maneuvers provided for in the first intervention protocol. If the baby was choking, you should always call your pediatrician once the emergency is resolved, even if you have managed to get the obstruction out and you feel the baby is breathing normally again.
Part 2 of 2: Remove the Obstruction from the Airways
Step 1. Prepare to perform back percussion
If the baby is having difficulty breathing or not breathing at all, you need to act quickly to get the object blocking the airway out. The first technique to be put into practice is that of dorsal percussion. To do this, turn the baby face down while holding him on your lap. Hold him securely in this position and don't forget to support his head. The baby's forehead should rest well on your arm and you can use your thigh for support.
- Make sure you don't cover his mouth and don't twist his neck.
- His head should be positioned slightly lower than his chest.
Step 2. Give him five firm blows to the back
After placing the baby in the correct position, you need to perform five firm but gentle back percussions. Hit his back in the space between the shoulder blades five times, using the base of the hand. At this point, stop and check his mouth to see if the object has been removed. If you notice an obvious foreign body that you can reach, gently remove it. You don't have to do it though, if there is a risk of pushing it even deeper.
If the airways are still blocked after five backbeats, you need to perform five chest compressions
Step 3. Prepare for chest compressions
If the baby is coughing and crying, this is a good sign because it means that some air is starting to get through. If this does not happen and the object has not been visibly ejected, the back percussion has not been successful. If so, you need to switch to chest compressions. Place the baby supine on your lap, with the head lower than the rest of the body. Use your thigh or tummy to support the baby and remember to provide back support.
Step 4. Do five chest compressions
When the baby is in the correct position and is well supported, you can start the maneuver. Place two fingers in the center of her breastbone, just below the nipple line or about one finger below her nipples. Quickly compress your chest five times. You need to apply enough force to make the chest drop about one third or at most one half of its depth.
- Check to see if the obstruction has been removed and if you can pull it out easily, but remember to be careful not to push it down your throat.
- Continue alternating backbeats and chest compressions until the foreign body has been removed or until help arrives.
- If you have not been able to clear your airways after three cycles, call emergency services immediately if you have not already done so.
Step 5. Check the baby after clearing the airways
Even if the foreign body has been removed, you must closely monitor the newborn. It is possible that some of the substance that caused the emergency remained in the throat and could trigger other problems in the immediate future. If you find that you have difficulty swallowing or continue to cough, you should seek immediate medical help. Take the baby to the pediatrician or to the nearest emergency room.
Advice
- Keep doing the airway clearing movements until help arrives. Do not stop.
- Have someone call the emergency number of the country you are in (e.g. 911 in the United States, 999 in Great Britain, 112 in Europe and 118 for health emergencies in Italy), while you attend to to clear the blocked airways of the newborn. If no one is around, call for help as soon as you realize the baby is choking, ma Not leave it alone. In this case, the hands-free function of the mobile phone could be useful, because it allows you to continue to intervene on the victim while talking to the operator.
- Try to stay calm; by doing so, you are more likely to help the child effectively.
Warnings
- Never perform these movements on an infant who is not choking.
- Do not perform abdominal compressions (the true Heimlich maneuver) on a child under one year of age.
