Conscious Child

You need to recognise when a child is choking you can do this by:-

• sudden clutching at the throat
• child unable to speak or breathe
• face may turn blue

What to do

DO NOT put a finger blindly down the throat

Your child may be able to cough up the object on her own. Encourage her to do this, but do not waste time.

If this fails, make her bend forward. Give her five sharp slaps between the should blades.

Check her mouth. Put your finger on the tongue for a clear view. Remove any object you can see.

If the back slaps fail, give chest thrusts. Make a fist and place it over the lower breastbone. Hold the fist with your other hand. Pull sharply inwards up to five times at a rate of one every three seconds. Check mouth again.

If the chest thrusts fail, give abdominal thrusts. Place a fist in the middle of the upper abdoment below the rib cage. Hold your other hand over it. Give five upward thrusts. Check the mouth.

If the abdominal thrusts fail, repeat steps above three times. If you are still unsuccessful CALL AN AMBULANCE. Continue the above cycle until help arrives or until obstruction clears.

Summary

• GIVE 5 SHARP BACK SLAPS
• CHECK MOUTH
• GIVE 5 CHEST THRUSTS
• CHECK MOUTH
• GIVE 5 ABDOMINAL THRUSTS
• Repeat cycle of 5 back slaps, mouth check, 5 chest thrusts, mouth check, 5 abdominal thrusts, mouth check three times.
• CALL AN AMBULANCE
• Repeat sequence until help arrives or the obstruction clears

We are not experts in first aid, this is just a guide from us to assist you, if you want to learn more about First Aid for Children you should contact your local health service and find out what courses are available in your area.