| What
To Do If Your Child Is Choking
If you're lucky, your child will sample all kinds of new foods
— from turkey to cranberries to cauliflower. But do you know
what to do if she swallows something too big and begins to choke?
Question: What's the first thing you should
do to clear a choking child's airway?
A. Pat your toddler square on the back
B. Perform the Heimlich maneuver from behind
C. Press between her navel and breastbone
D. Reach down her throat with your fingers
Answer: B.
If your child is conscious but can't cough, talk, or breathe or
is beginning to turn blue, you should perform the Heimlich maneuver.
Put your arms around her from behind and use the Heimlich maneuver
to try to dislodge the object in her airway. First clench one hand
into a fist and rest it against your child's abdomen, just over
her navel. Then put your other hand over the first one and quickly
thrust upward several times. Continue until the child starts to
breathe or cough.
• Learn more about preventing choking and what to do if the
Heimlich doesn't dislodge the object lodged in her throat or she
stops breathing.
Toddler First-Aid for Choking
and CPR
Toddlers choke all the time — because they're constantly
putting objects in their mouth and they often attempt to swallow
too-big pieces of certain foods. Children can lose consciousness
within a matter of minutes once they start choking, so it's important
to learn how to clear a blocked airway and to administer CPR (cardiopulmonary
resuscitation) if it becomes necessary.
We compiled this basic step-by-step guide to show you what to do
in an emergency, but please don't rely on it as your sole source
of CPR information. Set aside a day to take a child CPR course;
it's one of the most important things you can do to protect your
toddler from harm. Airway obstruction injuries (choking, suffocation,
and strangulation) are a leading cause of accidental death in children
under age 14. You can find a class in your area by calling your
local chapter of the American Red Cross (check the white pages).
The following instructions are for children ages 1 to 3. To find
out what to do when a baby chokes, see our illustrated guide to
baby CPR.
Choking
Step 1: Figure out what's causing the problem
If your toddler is suddenly unable to cry, cough, or speak, she
probably has something blocking her airway, and you will need to
help her get it out. She may make odd noises or no sound at all
while opening her mouth, and her skin may turn bright red or blue.
If she is coughing or gagging, her airway is only partially blocked,
most likely because some food or liquid has gone down her windpipe
instead of her esophagus, the tube that leads to the stomach. In
this case, let her continue to cough; this is the most effective
way of dislodging the blockage. (If you suspect that an allergic
reaction or an infection has closed off your baby's airway by swelling
her throat, call 911 immediately. You will not be able to clear
her airway yourself.) If your child cannot clear her airway on her
own and you believe something is trapped there, begin Step 2.
Step 2: Administer the Heimlich maneuver or give abdominal
thrusts
If your child is conscious but can't cough, talk, or breathe or
is beginning to turn blue, put your arms around her from behind
and use the Heimlich maneuver to try to dislodge the object in her
airway. First clench one hand into a fist and rest it against your
child's abdomen, just over her navel. Then put your other hand over
the first one and quickly thrust upward several times. Continue
until the child starts to breathe or cough. If your child is unconscious,
place her on her back and position yourself at her feet (kneel if
she's on the ground, stand if she's on a table or other elevated
surface). Put the heel of one hand on your toddler's abdomen between
her navel and breastbone. You can put your second hand on top of
the first, but you don't need to. Once your hand is in position,
thrust inward and upward five times — the thrusts should be
gentle but quick.
With either method, stop if your child starts to cough and let
her try to spit out the obstruction. Otherwise, open her mouth —
tilt her head backward while bracing her jaw with your fingers and
holding her tongue down gently with your thumb — and look
inside. If you can clearly see the object she's swallowed, use your
finger to try to sweep it out of the way. Don't try this if you
can't see the object, though — you could end up pushing it
further down her airway by accident. If you cannot see the object
continue with the abdominal thrusts. If the object comes out but
your child is still not breathing, check her pulse and start rescue
breathing (see below). Ask someone to call 911 right away. If you're
alone, give your toddler rescue breathing or CPR for one minute
before you stop to call for help.
Rescue Breathing and CPR
Step 1: Check your child's breathing and pulse
Swiftly but gently place her on her back on a firm surface. Make
sure her airway is open by lifting her chin gently, then tipping
her head back slowly. For at least five seconds, look, listen, and
feel for signs of breathing. To check for a pulse, gently place
your first two fingers on your child's neck and feel for the artery
that's under her ear and just below her jawbone. Feel for a pulse
for at least five seconds.
Step 2: If your child is not breathing but has a pulse,
begin rescue breathing
Pinch your child's nose shut, place your mouth over hers, and exhale
into her lungs until you see her chest rise. (If her chest doesn't
rise, her airway is blocked. Resume the abdominal thrusts.) Give
one slow breath every three seconds. Stop every 20 breaths and check
her pulse. Continue rescue breathing until she starts breathing
on her own or until you can no longer find a pulse. If you can't
feel a pulse, begin Step 3 below.
Step 3: If your child is not breathing and has no pulse,
begin CPR
With your toddler still lying on her back, put the heel of your
hand on the lower third of her breastbone. Depress her chest between
1 and 1 1/2 inches. Repeat five times within about three seconds.
(Count "one and two and three.") With your child's head
still tilted, pinch her nose shut, put your mouth over hers, and
give one slow, gentle breath. Repeat the cycle of compressions and
breathing about 10 times, then stop and check for a pulse. Call
911 now if no one has done so for you. Resume CPR, checking for
a pulse every few minutes, until help arrives or your child resumes
breathing. Once your toddler does resume breathing, get her to an
emergency room as soon as possible. Even if she seems fully recovered,
a doctor needs to make sure that her airway is completely clear
and that she has not sustained any internal injuries.
*Courtesy of www.babycenter.com
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