Here - Health Promotion Agency

Illness and accidents
116
IF YOUR CHILD IS CHOKING
Choking is caused by an obstruction
in the airway and must be treated
immediately.
• Look inside your child’s mouth
and remove any object if it is very
easy to get at. Do not probe
blindly into the mouth – you may
push the object further in or
damage the soft palate.
•
If your child isn’t breathing, start
mouth-to-mouth ventilation – it
may be possible to ventilate your
child if the obstruction is only
partial. If your child is breathing,
follow the instructions below.
Babies (under one year)
1 Lie the baby along your
forearm or thigh with the face
down and the head low and
supported.
2 Give up to five firm slaps
between the shoulder blades.
3 If this does not work, turn your
baby head down on his or her
back along your thigh. Give five
chest thrusts, using the same
technique and finger position as
for chest compressions (see page
114), but press more sharply at a
rate of about 20 per minute.
4 Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3 three
times.
5 If this does not work, dial 999
and continue repeating the
sequence of back slaps and
chest thrusts.
6 If your baby becomes
unconscious follow the ABC
of resuscitation (see page 112).
DO NOT USE ABDOMINAL THRUSTS
ON BABIES UNDER ONE YEAR.
Children (over one year)
1 Encourage your child to cough
if possible.
2 If this doesn’t work, bend your
child forwards so that his or her
head is lower than the chest and
give up to five firm slaps between
the shoulder blades. Check the
mouth is clear.
3 If this does not work, lie your
child on its back and give up to
five chest thrusts, using the same
technique and finger position as
for chest compressions (see page
114) but press more sharply at a
rate of about 20 per minute.
Check the mouth is clear.
4 If this does not work, give
abdominal thrusts. Place
yourself behind your child and
steady him or her with one
arm. Put your other arm
around your child, placing the
heel of your hand in the upper
abdomen. Give a sharp pull
inwards and upwards below
your child’s ribs. Repeat up to
three times.
5 If this does not work, summon
medical aid and continue
repeating the sequence of back
slaps, chest thrusts, back slaps,
abdominal thrusts.
6 If your child becomes
unconscious follow the ABC
of resuscitation (see page 112).