Choking is extremely common and very frightening, but rarely fatal. Young children can choke on anything small enough to fit through a loo roll. To prevent choking, keep small objects out of reach, cut food into very small pieces and always supervise children when eating.
Choking is life-threatening when a child is unable to speak or cry and struggling to breathe.
What to Do
- Remain calm and encourage them toĀ to clear it themselves by coughing.
- Perform up toĀ 5 back blows, checking between eachĀ to see if the blockage has cleared before repeating.
- If the obstruction hasnāt cleared after 5 back blows, phone 999 or get someone else to and start abdominal thrusts.
To build your confidence for real-life emergencies, you can take our online Emergency Life Support course.
Back Blows
Bend the child forward and support their chest. With the other hand give aĀ firm back blowĀ between the shoulder blades.
Abdominal Thrusts
To do this, stand behind the child and place one hand in a fist under their rib cage. Use the other hand to pull up and under the ribs in a J-shaped motion to dislodge the obstruction. Perform abdominal thrustsĀ up to 5 times, checking each time to see if the obstruction has cleared.
Keep alternatingĀ five back blows andĀ five abdominal thrusts until emergency help arrives. If at any point the child becomes unconscious, commence CPR.
Anyone who has received abdominal thrusts should be seen by a doctor.
Never perform abdominal thrusts on a baby, read our blog post on helping a choking baby here.
Take ourĀ free choking course on Online First Aid – no bank details necessary!
About us
We strongly advise that you attend a fully regulated Practical or Online First Aid course. This will help you understand what to do in a medical emergency. Please visit First Aid For LifeĀ or call 0208 675 4036 for more information about our courses.
First Aid for Life is a multi-award-winning, fully regulated first aid training provider. Our trainers are highly experienced medical, health and emergency services professionals. They will tailor the training to your needs. Courses for groups or individuals at our venue or yours.
First Aid for life provides this information for guidance and it is not in any way a substitute for medical advice. First Aid for Life is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made, or actions taken based on this information. Written by Emma Hammett.
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