Infants tend to bring almost anything to their mouths as they explore their surroundings. Young children can eat food too quickly or run around with food in their mouths. While these are normal habits they can increase the risk of choking. The most common items that children choke on include coins, small toys, and food.
Choking is an accident. Not all accidents are avoidable but there are some steps to help decrease the risk of choking.
If the infant can breathe or cough, do not interfere. If the infant is not moving air or making noises, perform the following steps:
If the child can breathe or cough, do not interfere. If the child is not moving air or making noises, perform the Heimlich maneuver. Perform the following steps:
If the child is unconscious and stops breathing, perform the following steps:
Q. Does slapping the back of older children help get the object out?
A. This usually does not help and could make matters worse. Use the above steps instead if the person is choking and cannot cough or breathe.
Contact your doctor any time you or another person has been rescued from choking. The doctor will make sure the object is completely out and check for injuries.
Possible mishaps to watch out for include giving up too soon. The above steps can be very successful in getting the object out. It may take several tries. Don’t give up trying to help.
American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org
Healthy Children—American Academy of Pediatrics
https://www.healthychildren.org
Canadian Red Cross
http://www.redcross.ca
Toronto Paramedic Services
http://torontoparamedicservices.ca
Berg MD, Schexnayder SM, Chameides L, et al. Part 13: pediatric basic life support: 2010 American Heart Association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care. Circulation. 2010;122(18 Suppl 3):S862-S875.
Committee on injury, voilence and poison prevention. Prevention of choking among children. Pediatrics. 2010;125(3):601-607.
Choking prevention. American Academy of Pediatrics Healthy Children website. Available at: http://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/pages/Choking-Prevention.aspx. Accessed August 19, 2020.
Foreign body aspiration. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed. Accessed August 19, 2020.
Responding to a choking emergency. American Academy of Pediatrics Healthy Children website. Available at: http://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/Pages/Responding-to-a-Choking-Emergency.aspx. Accessed August 19, 2020.
Last reviewed January 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Chelsea Skucek, MSN, BS, RNC-NIC