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This conscious infant choking lesson is for situations where you can see that an infant is choking and he or she is conscious. The choking victim will usually be exhibiting some unmistakable signs, including:
Signs that the infant is conscious include:
Remember to only worry about calling 911 and activating EMS if doing so is quick and easy, or there is another person nearby that can call. Otherwise, don't waste time calling 911 and go right into assessing and helping the infant.
Helping a conscious choking infant is significantly different than helping a child or an adult. You'll be performing a combination of back slaps and chest thrusts to try and dislodge the airway obstruction.
If there is a parent or legal guardian present, make sure to get permission before beginning the following procedure.
Pro Tip #1: Hold the baby at about a 30-45-degree angle, so the head is lower than the feet. This will allow gravity to assist, rather than hinder, your efforts.
Pro Tip #2: It's important that you keep the infant's body stabilized when doing the back slaps and chest thrusts. If you allow the infant's body to move downward with each slap or thrust, you'll minimize the effects necessary to force enough air up the trachea to remove the obstruction.
If you called 911, let them come anyway, so the infant can be examined. EMS responders can check the choking victim's airway and listen to their lungs to make certain that there are no partial obstructions remaining. And they can do a quick assessment for internal bleeding or other damage.
Pro Tip #3: If you did not call 911, it's always a good idea for you or someone else to take the infant into an urgent care center, hospital, or to see their physician to determine if more care is necessary.
This conscious infant choking procedure is around 80 percent effective if you perform the back slaps and chest thrusts properly.
If you weren't able to remove the obstruction, the infant will go unconscious pretty quickly. Call 911 immediately and activate EMS or call in a code if in a healthcare setting. Then begin performing the unconscious infant choking procedure.
Young children are more prone to choking on small objects like toys, buttons, coins, and balloons. Food, too, is a bigger threat for children under four years old because they don't have a full set of teeth at that age, which means they aren't able to chew their food as well as older children.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends not giving any firm, round food to children under four years old unless it is cut into smaller pieces – ideally smaller than half an inch. They also recommend keeping the following food items away from younger children:
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), balloons represent the greatest threat to young children, as more have suffocated on non-inflated balloons and pieces of broken balloons than any other type of toy.
It's also important to remember to get permission from a parent or legal guardian, if present, before helping a choking infant or child.