Choking is a life-threatening emergency.

For children, remember that children are aged a year and above.

If you can see anything you can actually grab with your fingers, then remove anything you can from the mouth. Do not finger sweep or blindly put fingers in to try to find anything, as you may push the object further down.

If the child is old enough to understand, encourage them to cough.

If they are coughing loudly, continue to encourage this. If the cough is weak and not effective or there is no cough, you need to help them.

Lean them forward, either over your lap or lean them forward supporting their opposite shoulder.

Give five backblows right in between the shoulder blades, using an upward motion; this corresponds with the airway.

As you give each backblow, watch your child to see if the object comes out. This way, if it does come out, you can stop! You will not want to give more blows than necessary.

After the first five backblows, call for an ambulance, dial 999, and tell them the child is not breathing; the child is choking. Ideally, get someone else to do this or use a loudspeaker device.

You must simultaneously begin abdominal thrusts.

Depending on their height, stand or kneel behind the child and make your fist like this.

Then find their tummy button or naval, put your fist on their tummy just above the tummy button or naval, and pull in and up like this. Do not only pull in and do not do the movement beginning away from the body—this is wrong; this is correct.

You need to give it 5 attempts, and if after 5 attempts it is still lodged in the airway, go back to backblows. Keep going with 5 backblows and 5 abdominal thrusts until one of two things happens—it will either come out or it won’t. If it does not come out, the child will collapse. You need to begin CPR.

If it does come out, does the child need to go to the hospital?

Yes

There may be part of the object left behind, the throat may continue to swell, or there may be injuries or marks on the child from the choking treatment.

Remember, children cannot articulate themselves as well as adults; a medical examination from a medical professional is vital after choking treatment.

Choking baby

For infants, place the baby alongside your arm with the head down and give 5 back blows between the shoulder blades like this, watching to see if the object comes out. If not, turn the baby over.

If that doesn't work, try chest thrusts using two fingers. It is very similar to baby CPR, except you go up like this as well as pressing on the sternum. Give 5, again watching to see if the object dislodges. If it does and you can see it in the mouth, you can grab it, keep the baby head down, pinch the object with your fingers, or flick the object out. Do not finger sweep or blindly put fingers in to try to find anything, as you may push the object further down. You may push something into the airway.

After the first five backblows, call 999, ask for an ambulance, and tell them the baby is not breathing; the baby is choking. Ideally, someone else will do this or use a loudspeaker device.

If the object comes out, you must take the baby to the hospital, as there may be injuries or marks from the treatment. Part of the object may still be in the throat, or the throat may be swollen.

If it does not come out, the baby will become unconscious, and you must commence CPR.

So, now you’ve learned the essentials supporting a child or baby in a choking situation and why it's a vital skill for parents to have. Remember, you can make a difference in an emergency by being prepared and knowing what to do.

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