Baby First aid – choking under the age of 1
Back Blows
• Sit down and lay your baby face down along your thighs, supporting their head with your hand.
• Give up to 5 sharp back blows with the heel of 1 hand in the middle of the back between the shoulder blades.
Chest Thrusts
• Lay your baby face up along the length of your thighs.
• Find the breastbone and place 2 fingers in the middle.
• Give 5 sharp chest thrusts (pushes), compressing the chest by about a third.
Following chest or abdominal thrusts, reassess your child as follows:
• If the object still isn’t dislodged and your child’s still conscious, continue the sequence of back blows and either chest or abdominal thrusts.
• Call out or send for help, if you’re still on your own.
• Don’t leave the child.
• Call 999 if the blockage doesn’t come out after trying back blows and either chest or abdominal thrusts. Keep trying this cycle until help arrives.
Even if the object has come out, get medical help. Part of the object might have been left behind, or your child might have been hurt by the procedure.
Unconscious child with choking
• If a choking child is, or becomes, unconscious, put them on a firm, flat surface and shout for help.
• Call 999, putting the phone on speakerphone so your hands are free.
• Don’t leave the child at any stage.
• Open the child’s mouth. If the object is clearly visible and you can grasp it easily, remove it.
• Start basic life support (resuscitation)
For more information on resuscitation you can visit: https://www.nhs.uk/…/pregnancy…/resuscitating-a-baby/
