First Aid for Choking
 

Here are some tips your must know.

Children choke on pieces of food, toys, and household objects. Babies and toddlers are at greatest risk because they have a natural tendency to put things in their mouths, they cannot chew well, and their small upper airways can easily become obstructed. Fortunately, choking deaths are preventable. Here's how to keep your child safe.

In an Emergency :

When a child gags on a drink or a piece of food, she will often cough forcefully enough to clear her airway. Don't slap her back or reach into her mouth with your fingers while she's coughing; it could push the object farther down her windpipe. If your child can no longer speak, cough, or cry, and her face starts turning blue, you must intervene immediately. Have someone call for help while you begin first aid.

HOW TO SAVE AN OLDER CHILD ( MORE THAN ONE YEAR)

1. Perform the Heimlich maneuver: Stand or kneel behind your child with your arms around her waist. (If she is unconscious, lay her on her back and kneel at her feet.)
2. Make a fist and hold it with your other hand against your child's abdomen, just above the navel and below the rib cage. (If your child is lying down, place the heel of your hand in the middle of her stomach just above the belly button and below the rip cage, resting your other hand on the top of the first.) Pressing firmly but gently on her abdomen, give upwards thrusts in sets of five until the object is expelled.
3. If the object isn't cleared and your child loses consciousness, lay her on her back and open her mouth. If you see the obstruction, carefully sweep you index finger across the back or her throat to remove it.
4. Perform rescue breathing: Open the airway by tilting the head back and lifting the chin up.
5. Keeping the airway open, pinch your child's nose shut with your fingers, seat your mouth over hers, and give two slow breaths. Continue mouth-to-mouth respiration until she resumes normal breathing or medical help arrives. Note: If your child's chest doesn't begin to rise, the object is still blocking her airway. Repeat steps 1 to 5 until the object is coughed up or help arrives.
6. Even if your child seems fine after a choking incident that requires intervention, take her to the doctor to make sure that the blockage has been completely removed and that there is no lasting damage.

To Lower Your Childs Risk

Keep your child away from garbage, especially any kitchen trash that he can swallow, such as eggshells or pop tabs from soda cans.

Mash, puree, or blend your baby's food thoroughly before serving it. For toddlers, cut all food into smaller-than-bite-size pieces.

Choose age-appropriate toys that do not contain small parts. If you have older children, keep their toys, which may contain choking hazards, out of your toddler's reach.

never let your child chew on a balloon, which he could inhale.

Make sure that your child is sitting down while he eats, and never leave him unattended during meals.

Do not allow your child to play games with his food - filling his cheeks like a chipmunk or catching popcorn in his mouth, for example. Teach him to chew and swallow before talking and laughing.

Too Tiny for Tots

Once your baby starts to crawl, be sure to keep potential choking hazards - any object OR toy small enough to fit through a toilet paper tube - out of kids' reach. Here's are some common culprits:

Coins
Un-inflated rubber balloons and pieces of broken balloon
Button Batteries
Toys with small detachable parts
Marbles
Safety pins
Tacks
Jewelry
Buttons
Crayons
Pen Caps
Nails
Screws

Food Hazards

Most choking emergencies are caused by food. Do not give a child under 4 anything to eat that is round, hard, small, thick and sticky, smooth, or slippery. Some foods to avoid:

• Sunflower Seeds
• Ice cubes
• Gum
• Caramel
• Raw peas
• Popcorn
• Fish with bones
• Raw Celery
• Pretzel nuggets
• Mini Marshmallows
• Whole grapes
• Hot dogs and sausage
• Large pieces of meat
• Hard candy
• Nuts (especially peanuts)
• Raw carrots (including baby carrots and coin-shaped slices)
• Peanut butter (unless it is spread very thinly)
• Large pieces of dried fruit (apricots, apples, prunes)

First Aid for Accidents      First Aid for Broken Bones      

First Aid for Choking  First Aid for drowning          Toy Injury prevention tips

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