Choking: What to do
Once babies have discovered their hands and learnt to grasp objects they tend to put everything in their mouths.
Keep an eye on your child when he’s eating or playing, in case he puts something in his mouth and starts to choke. He may be choking if he coughs and gasps for breath, grasps at his throat or turns red then blue in the face. The blood vessels in his neck and face may bulge. If someone is with you, get them to call 911. If you’re on your own start this sequence immediately and call 911 after you’ve repeated it three times.
For a baby under 12 months…
1. Check inside his mouth and remove any object if you can, being careful not to push the object further down his throat.
2. If you can’t remove the object or can’t see anything, lay him along your forearm with his head lower than his chest and his chin supported by your fingers.
3. Give up to five sharp slaps on the middle of his back with your other hand.
4. If this doesn’t dislodge the item, lay him on his back along your thighs with his head lower than his body and give him five chest thrusts. To do this, place two fingers a finger’s width below the nipple line in the middle of his chest and press sharply down to a depth of between one and two inches. Do this at a rate of about 20 per minute.
5. Repeat these steps three times, and if they don’t work, call 911 before returning to repeat the sequence again.
If your baby loses consciousness or stops breathing…
1. You’ll need to perform CPR, so lay him on his back and open his airway by tilting his head back slightly with one hand under his chin.
2. Check for signs he’s breathing by placing your cheek close to his mouth.
3. If he isn’t breathing, cover her nose and mouth with yours and give two gentle rescue breaths. Your baby’s lungs are small, so don’t blow too hard or for too long – just one second is sufficient.
4. Give him chest compressions by placing the tips of two fingers just below an imaginary line running between his nipples. Press down smoothly to a depth of around one inch 30 times.
5. When you’ve given 30 chest compressions, give two rescue breaths, continuing to alternate between the two until the ambulance arrives.
For a child over 12 months…
1. Encourage him to cough as much as he can to try to dislodge the item.
2. If this is unsuccessful, bend your child forwards so his head is lower than his chest and give him five firm back slaps between the shoulder blades.
3. Check his mouth is clear in case anything has been dislodged.
4. If this doesn’t work, lie your child on her back and give up to five chest thrusts, again by placing two fingers a finger’s width below the nipple line in the middle of his chest and press sharply down to one third of the depth of his chest. Do this at a rate of about 20 per minute.
5. Check his mouth again in case anything has been dislodged.
6. If this does not work, try giving your child abdominal thrusts (never give abdominal thrusts to babies under a year old). To do this, stand behind your child and put your arms around him. Form a fist with one of your hands and place the thumb side against his abdomen, just above his navel. Grasp your fist with your other hand and give five sharp inward thrusts.
7. Alternate between back slaps and abdominal thrusts until the object is dislodged.
If your child loses consciousness or stops breathing…
1. You’ll need to perform CPR, so lay him on his back and open his airway by tilting his head back slightly with one hand under his chin.
2. Check for signs of breathing or chest movements that indicate he is breathing.
3. If he isn’t breathing give him two rescue breaths by pinching his nostrils and blowing into his mouth until you see his chest rise.
4. Give him chest compressions by placing the heel of your hand on his sternum, in the center of his chest. Place your other hand over it, lace your fingers together and press down to a depth of around one third of your child’s chest. Allow his chest to return to a normal position before repeating the compressions to a total of 30.
5. Alternate between rescue breaths and chest compressions for two minutes and then call 911.
6. Continue until your child starts to revive or the ambulance arrives.
The information on this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.