How To Help A Baby Who Is Choking
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Parenthood is never easy, and even the slightest inconvenience for your little one can leave your heart racing, let alone unfortunate events like choking. However, you will be surprised that over 12,000 children worldwide require medical attention after choking on food (1). But just because it’s common does not make it any less fatal. And, of course, if you find your little one choking on anything, you won’t have the time to google how to help your baby. So here in this article, we have discussed how to save a baby from choking on anything and the precautions you should take to keep such unfortunate events at bay. Make sure you share the knowledge with everyone so you can help children in times of need, as every second counts when it comes to choking. Read on!
In This Article
Warning Signs Of A Choking Infant
What is choking?
Choking is basically when something blocks your airway and stops you from breathing. A common misconception about choking is, people think your baby will cough when they are choking, but in reality, if your child is choking, they won’t be able to do so.
Also, heavy coughing is not the same thing as choking. When coughing heavily, a child will puff out excessive noises, accompanied by extra air. But, when someone chokes, they will not be able to make any noise. Likewise, a baby choking will be unable to scream, cough, or create any other sounds and also be unable to breathe. And that is what makes it a sheer nightmare for parents. Parents should know the distinctions when a child is choking and be ready to intervene fast.
A kid who is coughing does not require emergency medical attention; nonetheless, they should be monitored to prevent the coughing from progressing to choking.
How To Help A Child Who Is Choking
Every second counts when dealing with a toddler choking, so read these instructions properly to etch them to your memory. You won’t have time to look for solutions online during a choking emergency, so here is what you need to practice. Back strikes are the first line of defense when it comes to saving a kid who is choking. First, flip the baby over your knee and firmly pat them with your hand. Next, give them five or more pats in the middle of their back, palm down, between the shoulder blades. You should strike hard to dislodge whatever is preventing the victim from breathing.
Abdominal thrusts can be administered if the item clogging the windpipe has not been expelled by this point. This is the equivalent of the Heimlich Maneuver for a young child (2). Raise the child upright and push your fist into the tender area below the sternum.
Everyday Objects That Cause Infant Choking
Many everyday household items pose a choking risk to toddlers. They are at the stage where they are trying to put everything, including toy parts, in their mouths as they learn to chew on solids. All of these items pose a choking risk. Even smooth and textured meals commonly cause choking episodes, and parents should be aware of this.
Foods In This Category Include
- Nuts
- Edible seeds
- Watermelon
- Pitted cherries
- vegetables (carrots, peas, and celery) in their raw state
- Popcorn
- Candy that’s hard to chew
- Crisp fruits like apples and pear
Some soft foods are potentially harmful and should be eaten carefully or avoided altogether.
- Chunks of cheese
- Onion
- Sausage
- Grapes
- Caramels
Teach your child good and safe food patterns by ensuring they chew their food thoroughly before swallowing. Toys and other small things provide a choking risk if ingested. So here are some things to keep away from your toddler.
- Balloons
- Toys with lots of tiny pieces
- Accessories for dolls
- Batteries
- Erasers
- Marbles
- Washed-out Crayons
- JewelryMagnets
- Container seals
- Coins
It’s not just food and everyday items that might cause choking. Choking isn’t always caused by anything the infant consumes. Here is an example to demonstrate infant choking.
A couple took their baby daughter shopping. The mom carried the baby in an infant carrier. Upon entering the shop, she glances down and sees that her daughter’s lips are a vibrant shade of blue. The mom recalled that she couldn’t be choking because she didn’t even have a bottle. They had no idea how their infant had been choking with nothing in the carrier to put in her mouth. Thankfully the shop pharmacist took the necessary steps to get the baby breathing again.
The kid was taken by EMS to the ER, where she was given a BRUE diagnosis (brief resolved unexplained event). It was determined by the physicians that the infant had acid reflux, which caused the choking. The baby was fine after the specialist took over, but this only proves that you need to keep a close check on your infant even when they are not feeding on anything. Some infants even choke on their saliva and need to be put upright for a clear air passage.
So, are you now confident about helping a child who seems to be choking? What are the precautions you can take to help a child from getting choked? Let us know in the comments section!
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