How to help a choking child.
Choking is a common among children especially young children. They eat fast, eat on the run, do not always chew their food properly. As well as food young children can choke on other hazards such as coins, marbles, small toys, small batteries, latex balloons etc.
Choking is when food or another object gets stuck in the airway or throat. This prevents air exchange from occurring. If the object is not expelled quickly, it can lead to unresponsiveness. If oxygen is not circulating around the body, permanent brain damage can occur after 4-6 minutes and death can occur at 8-10 minutes without circulating oxygen. This is why it is so important to know how to immediately react.
What should you do?
Some choking is mild and some is severe.
Mild Choking.
Choking is mild when the child can cough loudly and make sounds.
- Stand by and let her cough
- If you are worried about her breathing, call 911
Severe choking.
Choking is severe when she cannot breathe, has a cough with no sound, cannot talk. An older child may give the universal choking sign, clutching the neck with both hands.
- Ask "Are you choking?"
- If someone else is around have them call 911
- Get behind he and wrap your arms around her so they're in front
- Make a fist with one hand
- Put the thumb side of the fist above the belly button
- Grasp the fist with the other hand and give quick upward thrusts into the abdomen
- Continue until the object comes out or the child stops responding
If the child stops responding start CPR.
This technique is used for a child (1 to 9 years old). The choking technique is different for an infant (newborn to 1 year).
