What do you do when a baby chokes on food or a foreign object?
Important note: DO NOT perform these steps if the infant is coughing hard or has a strong cry. Strong coughs and cries can help push the object out of the airway. If your child is not coughing forcefully or does not have a strong cry, follow these steps:
- Lay the infant face down, along your forearm. Use your thigh or lap for support.
- Hold the infant's chest in your hand and the jaw with your fingers. Point the infant's head downward, lower than the body.
Give up to 5 quick, forceful blows between the infant's shoulder blades. Use the palm of your free hand.
- If the object does not come out of the airway after 5 blows:
- Turn the infant face-up. Use your thigh or lap for support. Support the head.
- Place 2 fingers on the middle of the breastbone just below the nipples.
Give up to 5 quick thrusts down, compressing the chest one third to one half the depth of the chest.
Continue 5 back blows followed by 5 chest thrusts until the object is dislodged or the infant loses alertness (becomes unconscious).
IF THE INFANT LOSES ALERTNESS
If the child becomes unresponsive, stops breathing, or turns blue:
- Shout for help.
- Give infant CPR.
- Call 995 after 1 minute of CPR.
- If you can see the object blocking the airway, try to remove it with your finger. Try to remove an object only if you can see it.
Reference:
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/presentations/100221_1.htm