In our previous blog post, we discussed what to do when an infant is choking. To review, if the blockage is severe:
1) Holding the infant face down on your forearm, while being sure to support the infant’s head and jaw with your hand.
2) Using the heel of your hand, give up to 5 back slaps in between the child’s shoulder blades.
3) If this does not work, turn the child on their back, once again being sure to support their head.
4) Give up to 5 chest thrusts by using 2 fingers to push on the chest in the same place you push during CPR.
5) Repeat these back slaps and chest thrusts until the infant can breathe, cough, or cry.
But what happens if you are unable to remove the object that is blocking the infant’s airway? You must act quickly. You must first place the child face up, on a firm, flat surface, like a table.
If you can, yell for help. Check the child’s breathing and use infant CPR to give 30 chest compressions. After the compressions, open the airway. If you can see the object causing the blockage, take it out. Give two breaths. Repeat the compressions and breaths while also checking for what is causing the blockage. Do this until the infant starts to respond or medical personnel arrive.
