Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 5: Assessing the Situation
• Method 2 of 5: Giving First Aid to a Child Under Twelve Months
• Method 3 of 5: Administering Modified Rescue Respiration in Children Under 12 Months of Age
• Method 4 of 5: Providing first aid to a child over one year old
• Method 5 of 5: Administering Modified Rescue Respiration in Children 12 Months and Older
• Tips
• Warnings

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you have to give first aid to a choking child, then it is very important to be ready for this. In this case, it is recommended to perform precordial shocks or abdominal shocks to remove the stuck foreign body, and then artificial respiration if the child is unconscious. Keep in mind that there are different procedures to follow, depending on whether you are helping a child under twelve months old or a child over a year old.

Steps

Method 1 of 5: Assessing the Situation

1. 1 Allow your child to clear their throat. If the child is coughing or gagging, it means that his airway is only partially blocked, so the oxygen supply is not completely restricted. If so, allow the child to continue coughing, as coughing is the most effective way to clear any foreign bodies.
   • If your child has choking wheezing and is old enough to understand you, try explaining to your child to cough or show how to do it before starting first aid.
2. 2 Check for symptoms of choking. Namely: the child cannot cry or make noise, his airways are completely blocked, and he cannot cough up a foreign object. Other symptoms that indicate choking include:
   • Uttering a strange, high-pitched sound, or not being able to make any sound;
   • Grabbing the throat;
   • The skin becomes bright red or bluish in color;
   • Lips and nails turn blue;
   • Loss of consciousness.
3. 3 Do not try to remove the foreign body by hand. Whatever you do, do not try to remove the foreign body yourself by falling asleep with your hand in the child's throat. This can push the foreign body deeper or damage the baby's throat.
4. 4 Call an ambulance if possible. Once you have verified that the child is choking, the next step is to provide first aid. If the child is deprived of oxygen for too long, they will pass out, which can help cause brain damage or even death. In an emergency like this, it is very important that a trained healthcare professional is there as quickly as possible:
   • If possible, ask another person to call emergency services immediately while you are administering first aid. In Russia, call 103.
   • If you are alone with your child, the first step is to provide first aid. Do it for two minutes, then stop and call an ambulance. Continue providing assistance until an ambulance arrives.
   • Please note that if the child suffers from any kind of heart disease or you suspect that the child has an allergic reaction (when the throat closes), you should immediately call an ambulance, even if you are alone with the child.

Method 2 of 5: Giving First Aid to a Child Under Twelve Months

1. 1 Position the child correctly. When giving first aid to a child under one year old, it is important to support the head and neck at all times.To keep your child in a safe, professionally recommended position, follow these steps:
   • Place one hand under the baby's back so that your palm gently rests on the baby's head and the baby's back rests on your hand.
   • Place your other hand on top of the child so that it is squeezed between your hands. Use your upper hand to securely grip the baby's jaw between your thumb and fingers without blocking the airway.
   • Gently flip the baby over onto your chest so that he is now lying on the opposite arm. Support the baby's head by the jaw.
   • Place your hand on your thigh for extra support and make sure your baby's head is lower than the rest of his body. You are now in the correct position to do the back slaps.
2. 2 Slap the child on the back 5 times. Back slaps create pressure and vibration in the baby's airway, which is often enough to knock out any trapped foreign objects. To perform a back blow on a baby less than twelve months old:
   • Use the palm of your hand to slap the child firmly on the back, between the shoulder blades, making sure you are supporting the child's head properly.
   • Repeat this movement up to 5 times. If the foreign object does not come out, go to precordial strikes.
3. 3 Change the position of the child. Before you can get into the precordial beats, you need to rotate the baby. To do this:
   • Extend your free hand (which you previously used to slap the back) along the child's back and gently place the back of the head in your hand.
   • Gently rotate the baby, firmly holding the baby in front with your other hand and palm.
   • Lower the arm supporting the baby's back so that it rests on your hip. Make sure again that the baby's head is below his body.
4. 4 Perform five precordial strokes. Such blows force air out of children's lungs, which may be enough for a foreign object to come out. To apply chest pressure to a child less than a year old:
   • Place two or three fingers in the center of the baby's chest, just below the nipples.
   • Press in and up, applying enough pressure to compress the baby's chest about 3.5 centimeters. Let the baby's ribcage return to its original position. Repeat a maximum of 5 times.
   • When pressing the baby's chest, make sure your movements are firm and controlled, not jerky. Your fingers should be in contact with the baby's chest at all times.
5. 5 Repeat until the foreign body has been removed. Alternate 5 back slaps and 5 chest presses until the body comes out, the baby starts crying or coughing, or an ambulance arrives.
6. 6 If the child loses consciousness, give modified artificial respiration. If the child stops responding to the people and objects around him, and the ambulance has not yet arrived, then you will need to perform modified artificial respiration for the child. Please note that modified artificial respiration is different from conventional artificial respiration as it is intended for use on young children.

Method 3 of 5: Administering Modified Rescue Respiration in Children Under 12 Months of Age

1. 1 Check if there is any foreign body in the baby's mouth. Before you start artificial respiration, you need to check your baby's mouth to see if there are any foreign body parts that the baby has choked on. Place your child on their back on a firm, level surface.
   • Use your hand to open the baby's mouth and look into it. If you find something, use your fingers to remove the item.
   • If you don't see anything, proceed to the next step.
2. 2 Open the baby's airways. This can be done in this way: tilt the child's head back a little with one hand, and raise the chin with the other hand. Do not tilt the baby's head back too much; it takes very little effort to open the small baby's airway.
3. 3 Make sure the baby is breathing. Before proceeding with artificial respiration, you must check if the baby is breathing. You can do this by placing your cheek very close to the baby's mouth while looking at the baby's body.
   • If the baby is breathing, you will be able to see his chest rise and fall weakly.
   • Additionally, you may be able to hear sounds when inhaling and exhaling and feel the baby's breath on your cheek.
4. 4 Give your child two artificial breaths. Once you have verified that the baby is not breathing, you can start cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Start by covering your baby's mouth and nose with your nose and mouth and gently blow two small breaths into your lungs.
   • Each breath should last for about a second, and you should see the baby's chest rise and fall. Make a groove between breaths to allow the air to escape.
   • Remember that children's lungs are very small, so you shouldn't blow in too much air or blow too hard.
5. 5 Perform thirty chest pressures. After you give the rescue breath, leave the baby on your back and use the same technique you used to apply pressure to the chest - that is, using two or three fingers, press firmly into the baby's chest about 3.5 centimeters.
   • Press straight down on the baby's sternum in the center of the baby's breast, just below the nipples.
   • Manipulation should be done at a speed of 100 clicks per minute. This means that you should be able to complete the thirty recommended strokes, in addition to two breaths of artificial respiration, in about 24 seconds.
6. 6 Take two more artificial breaths followed by thirty chest compressions and repeat as many as necessary. Repeat this cycle: two breaths of artificial respiration and then thirty chest compressions until the child starts breathing again, regains consciousness, or until an ambulance arrives.
   • Even if the child begins to breathe again, the child should be examined by a healthcare professional to ensure that the child has not sustained any injury.

Method 4 of 5: Providing first aid to a child over one year old

1. 1 Carrying out 5 spanks on the back. To give first aid to a child over twelve months old, sit or stand behind him and place your hand diagonally on your chest. Lean your child forward slightly so that he rests on your hand. With the palm of your free hand, place five firm and separate slaps on the child's back, directly between the shoulder blades. If this does not knock out the stuck foreign body, then proceed to abdominal tremors.
2. 2 Give 5 abdominal thrusts. The abdominal thrust, also known as the Heimlich trick, expels air from a person's lungs in an attempt to clear any foreign objects from the respiratory tract. This technique is safe to use on a child over a year old. To administer an abdominal thrust:
   • Stand or sit behind the choked child and put your arms around the waist.
   • Squeeze one hand in a fist, holding your thumb inward, and place it firmly on the baby's belly, just above the navel.
   • Place your other hand in a fist and quickly push up and in on the baby's belly. This movement should force the air, along with any trapped objects, out of the trachea.
   • Be careful when carrying out such a procedure on a small child, and do not press all the way on the sternum, as this can lead to injury. Keep your hands straight over your belly button.
   • Repeat up to 5 times.
3. 3 Repeat until foreign body comes out or baby starts coughing. If the child is still gasping for breath after five back slaps and five abdominal thrusts, repeat the entire procedure again and continue doing this until the object comes out, the child begins to cough, cry or breathe, or an ambulance arrives.
4. 4 If the child stops responding to people and objects around him, you will need to give the child modified artificial respiration. If the child is still unable to breathe and loses consciousness, you should give the child modified rescue breathing as soon as possible.

Method 5 of 5: Administering Modified Rescue Respiration in Children 12 Months and Older

1. 1 Check what's in the baby's mouth. Before you start resuscitation, open your baby's mouth and see if there are any foreign bodies left. If you see something, remove it with your fingers.
2. 2 Open the baby's airways. Open the baby's airways by tilting his head up slightly and lifting his chin. Check the baby's breathing by placing the cheek against the baby's mouth.
   • To check that the baby is breathing, you should watch the chest rise or fall, listen to the sounds of breathing, or feel the breath on your cheek.
   • Do not give artificial respiration if the baby is breathing on its own.
3. 3 Take two artificial breaths. Pinch the baby's nose and cover his mouth with your mouth. Take two artificial breaths, each of which should last for about a second. Pause between each breath to allow the air to escape.
   • If the baby's chest rises with a sigh, then you are doing CPR correctly.
   • If the baby's chest does not rise, it means that his windpipe is still blocked and you must return to first aid procedures to remove the foreign body.
4. 4 Do thirty chest compressions. Start pressing by placing your palm on the baby's chest, right between the nipples. Place the palm of your other hand on top of the first palm and put your fingers together in a lock. Place your body directly over your hands and begin the manipulation:
   • Each press should be strong and fast, and should also press the baby's chest by about 5 centimeters. Let your chest return to its original position between each press.
   • Speak out every thirtieth keystroke to help you keep track of them. You should be doing 100 clicks per minute.
5. 5 Alternate two artificial breaths and 30 chest presses as long as necessary. Repeat the sequence of two artificial breaths followed by thirty chest pressures until the baby starts breathing again or an ambulance arrives.

Tips

• Remember that it is best when first aid and artificial respiration are performed by a trained person who has completed a certified first aid course. You will not become a Certified Professional after reading this article. Find out in the nearest medical institutions where you can take a similar course.

Warnings

• Back slaps are not recommended for any choking person, although this method is still sometimes taught to be applied to babies. This practice is more likely to do more harm by pushing the foreign body deeper into the throat.