How to stop baby choking on food

infant under 1 year: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

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Choking is when someone cannot breathe because food, a toy, or other object is blocking the throat or windpipe (airway).

This article discusses choking in infants.

Choking in infants is usually caused by breathing in a small object that the baby has placed in their mouth, such as a button, coin, balloon, toy part, or watch battery.

Choking may result from a complete or partial blockage of the airway.

A complete blockage is a medical emergency.
A partial blockage can quickly become life threatening if the baby cannot get enough air.

When a person does not get enough air, permanent brain damage can occur in as little as 4 minutes. Rapid first aid for choking can save a life.

The danger signs of choking are:

Bluish skin color
Difficulty breathing -- ribs and chest pull inward
Loss of consciousness (unresponsiveness) if blockage is not cleared
Inability to cry or make much sound
Weak, ineffective coughing
Soft or high-pitched sounds while inhaling

DO NOT perform these steps if the infant is coughing hard or has a strong cry. Strong coughs and cries can help push the object out of the airway.

If your child is not coughing forcefully or does not have a strong cry, follow these steps:

Lay the infant face down, along your forearm. Use your thigh or lap for support. Hold the infant's chest in your hand and the jaw with your fingers. Point the infant's head downward, lower than the body.
Give up to 5 quick, forceful blows between the infant's shoulder blades. Use the palm of your free hand.

If the object does not come out of the airway after 5 blows:

Turn the infant face-up. Use your thigh or lap for support. Support the head.
Place 2 fingers on the middle of the breastbone just below the nipples.
Give up to 5 quick thrusts down, compressing the chest one third to one half the depth of the chest.
Continue 5 back blows followed by 5 chest thrusts until the object is dislodged or the infant loses alertness (becomes unconscious).

IF THE INFANT LOSES ALERTNESS

If the child becomes unresponsive, stops breathing, or turns blue:

Shout for help.
Give infant CPR. Call 911 or the local emergency number after 1 minute of CPR.
If you can see the object blocking the airway, try to remove it with your finger. Try to remove an object only if you can see it.

DO NOT perform choking first aid if the infant is coughing forcefully, has a strong cry, or is breathing enough. However, be ready to act if the symptoms get worse.
DO NOT try to grasp and pull out the object if the infant is alert (conscious).
DO NOT do back blows and chest thrusts if the infant stops breathing for other reasons, such as asthma, infection, swelling, or a blow to the head. Do give the infant CPR in these cases.

If an infant is choking:

Tell someone to call 911 or the local emergency number while you begin first aid.
If you are alone, shout for help and begin first aid.

Always call your doctor after a child has been choking, even if you successfully remove the object from the airway and the infant seems fine.

To prevent choking in an infant:

Do not give children under 3 years old balloons or toys with small parts that can break off.
Keep infants away from buttons, popcorn, coins, grapes, nuts, and other small items.
Watch infants and toddlers while they are eating. Do not allow a child to crawl around while eating.
The earliest safety lesson is "No!"

Choking first aid - infant under 1 year - series

Atkins DL, de Caen AR, Berger S, et al. 2017 American Heart Association focused update on pediatric basic life support and cardiopulmonary resuscitation quality: an update to the American Heart Association Guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care. Circulation. 2018;137(1):e1-e6. PMID: 29114009 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29114009/.

Rose E. Pediatric respiratory emergencies: upper airway obstruction and infections. In: Walls RM, Hockberger RS, Gausche-Hill M, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 167.

Thomas SH, Goodloe JM. Foreign bodies. In: Walls RM, Hockberger RS, Gausche-Hill M, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 53.

Updated by: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A. D.A.M. Editorial team.

What to Do If Baby Is Choking: Step-By-Step First Aid

Do you know what to do if your baby is choking? While it’s something no caregiver wants to think about, even seconds count if your child’s airway is obstructed. Knowing the basics can help you potentially dislodge an object or know what to do until help arrives.

Here’s more about how you can help a baby (under 12 months old), what you definitely shouldn’t do, and some tips to prevent choking accidents in your home.

Things can happen very quickly in emergencies, so we’ve kept our descriptions clear and to the point.

Step 1: Verify that your baby is actually choking

Your baby may be coughing or gagging. This can sound and look scary, but if they’re making noise and able to take breaths, they’re likely not choking.

Choking is when a baby is unable to cry or cough. They also won’t be able to make any noise or breathe because their airway is completely obstructed.

Step 2: Call 911

Ideally, you can have a friend or family member call 911 or local emergency services while you take care of your baby.

Explain the steps you’re following to the operator and provide updates. It’s especially important that you tell the operator if your child becomes unconscious at any point during the process.

Step 3: Place your baby face down on your forearm

Use your thigh for support. With the heel of your free hand, deliver five blows to the area between their shoulder blades. These blows should be both quick and strong to be effective.

This action creates vibrations and pressure in your baby’s airway that will hopefully force the object out.

Step 4: Turn baby over onto their back

Rest your baby on your thigh, keeping their head lower than their chest. With your index and middle fingers, find your baby’s breastbone (between and slightly below the nipples). Press down five times with enough pressure to press the chest down about one-third.

This action helps to push air from the lungs into the airway to potentially force the object out.

Step 5: Repeat

If the object still hasn’t dislodged, return to back blows following the same instructions above. Then repeat the chest thrusts. Again, tell the 911 operator immediately if your baby loses consciousness.

Related: Why every anaphylactic reaction requires a trip to the emergency room

It’s beyond scary to think about this whole scenario playing out in real life. But it happens.

You may or may not be surprised to learn that food is the most common cause of choking with infants. That’s why it’s important to introduce only age-appropriate foods — usually purees — to your child after they turn 4 months old.

Watch out for these foods in particular:

grapes (If giving these to your older baby — they’re not appropriate until closer to a year of age — peel off the skin and cut in half first.)
hot dogs
chunks of raw fruits or vegetables
chunks of meat or cheese
popcorn
nuts and seeds
peanut butter (While perhaps technically a puree, the thickness and stickiness makes it a hazard. )
marshmallows
hard candies
chewing gum

Of course, we know you’re likely not giving chewing gum or hard candy to an infant — but consider if your baby found some on the ground. Even the most careful caregiver may miss certain objects that land places where little eyes end up seeing them.

Other choking hazards found around the home include:

marbles
toys with small parts
latex balloons (uninflated)
coins
button batteries
pen caps
dice
other small household items

Young babies may also choke on liquids, like breast milk, formula, or even their own spit-up or mucus. Their airways are particularly small and easily obstructed.

This is one reason that you hold your baby with his head below his chest when attempting to help. Gravity may allow the liquid to drain out and clear the airway.

Related: Choking on saliva — causes and treatments

While it’s tempting, resist the urge to reach in your baby’s mouth and grab an object out unless it’s visible and easy to grasp with your fingertips.

Grasping around something that you can’t see in their throat may be harder than you think. And you may actually push the object farther down into the airway.

Also, don’t attempt to do the Heimlich maneuver (abdominal thrusts) with an infant. While abdominal thrusts can help children and adults move objects in their airways, they can be damaging to a baby’s developing organs.

You may also have heard to turn your baby upside down and hold them by their feet. This isn’t a good idea because it may force the object deeper into the throat — or you could accidentally drop your child in the process.

Related: Introduction to first aid for babies, children, and adults

If your baby does lose consciousness, the 911 operator may instruct you to do CPR until help can arrive. The goal of CPR isn’t necessarily to bring your baby back to consciousness. Instead, it’s to keep the blood and oxygen circulating to their body and — even more importantly — to their brain.

One set of CPR includes 30 chest compressions and 2 rescue breaths:

Place your infant on a flat, firm surface, like the ground.
Look for an object in your baby’s mouth. Remove it only if it’s visible and easy to grasp.
Place two fingers on your baby’s breastbone (the area where you applied pressure for chest thrusts). Apply pressure that compresses their chest about one-third (1 1/2 inches) at a rhythm of around 100 to 120 compressions each minute. Complete 30 chest compressions in all.
Tilt your baby’s head back and lift their chin to open the airway. Give two rescue breaths by making a seal around the baby’s mouth and nose. Blow each breath in for 1 full second.
Then repeat this process until help arrives.

You may not be able to prevent all choking accidents. That said, you can take measures to make your home as safe as possible for your baby.

Pay attention at mealtime

Especially as the foods you offer get chunkier, it’s important to keep good watch on your little one as they eat. And be sure to have your child sitting at meals versus walking or running around.

Provide age-appropriate foods

“Age-appropriate” means starting with purees at first and then progressively offering larger pieces of soft foods that can mash in your baby’s mouth. Think boiled sweet potatoes versus raw carrots or bits of avocado versus chunks of orange.

That said, if you do choose to do the baby-led weaning approach to feeding your infant, you don’t necessarily need to worry. Multiple studies (like research from 2016 and 2017) have shown no significant difference in risk with spoon feeding and feeding soft finger foods.

Speak with your doctor

Before offering high-risk foods, like grapes and peanut butter, check in with your pediatrician. They can help you decide when the best time is to introduce these foods and the best way to present them so they aren’t as much of a choking risk.

Read labels on toys

Check toy labels to ensure you’re buying ones that are age appropriate for your baby. And examine other toys in your home that might belong to older siblings. Consider creating a special spot for toys with small parts so they stay off the ground.

Create a safe space

Keep other hazards, like batteries or coins, out of your baby’s reach. If babyproofing your entire home seems overwhelming, you might try creating a dedicated “safe space” that’s gated off while you work on babyproofing the rest.

If you’re still feeling a bit uneasy about your ability to help your baby in an emergency, consider taking an infant first aid class that covers both choking and CPR skills.

You may be able to find classes near you by calling your local hospital. A 2019 study showed that practicing on mannequins can help with learning and confidence in executing these procedures.

Otherwise, do your best to keep choking hazards out of your baby’s play areas and pay close attention to anything you see in your baby’s mouth that shouldn’t necessarily be there.

What to do if the child does not want to chew - "Healthy Child's Internet Cabinet"

Home - Healthy Child Cabinet - Related Articles - Nutrition - What to do if the child does not want to chew

Ufimtseva Olesya Borisovna

Social teacher of the consultative and health department of the City Center for Medical Prevention

Transferring a child from ready-made formulas and breast milk to adult food is a problem for many parents, since the baby cannot learn to chew food, is naughty, refuses new foods, and spits out what he cannot swallow without chewing. The transition to more solid foods that must be chewed in order to be eaten is a natural physiological process associated with the development of various body systems. The digestive system gradually gets used to the digestion of solid food. The demand for nutrients is growing. A variety of "adult" foods can satisfy her. If a child does not learn to eat normally, then the nutrition of all tissues of his body will be disrupted. This affects his physical and intellectual development. If there is still a problem with chewing, then do not panic. Some special tips will help teach your baby to chew pieces of food.

Dr. E.O. Komarovsky gives the following simple advice to parents who are faced with the unwillingness of the baby to chew food:

To teach your child to chew both soft foods and hard pieces, you need to gradually add dishes with larger food particles to the meal. For example, soft bread can be gradually added to the soup so that the child can feel the pieces of food on the tongue. You can give the baby a boiled carrot: it is convenient to hold it and it is interesting to pull it into the mouth. In order for the baby to learn to chew food, you need to give him a tasty and beautiful cookie or a piece of sweet fruit that he likes. A bagel will do. Some parents give children as early as the age of 5-6 months drying or baby biscuits. At this age, as a rule, there are no teeth yet, but the child works on drying, because he feels a pleasant taste. He soaks it in his mouth, bites off small pieces with his gums, learns to chew and swallow them. Drying should be given not so much for saturation, but for the development of the chewing reflex. Then, when the first teeth appear, it will be more difficult for the baby to get used to such a useful and tasty toy. It is uncomfortable for him to bite with his gums, and there are still few teeth. Of course, you need to carefully monitor so that the baby does not choke.
Mom and dad do not have to immediately agree with the stubborn demand of the crumbs to give him the usual pureed food. Parents should show artistry, portray regret that, for example, the blender is broken. In extreme cases, you can give the baby a fork so that he mashes the pieces of potatoes. He will surely like it, although the lack of skill may lead to the fact that half of the puree will be on the floor, but the next time the child will demand just such “interesting” food, stuffing it into his mouth (the fork must be special - plastic, with blunt teeth) .
If a child does not chew, but tries to lick and suck an apple or a biscuit, he does not need to rush to rub this very apple on a grater or soak the biscuits in milk. Give him solid food more often, if the number of teeth allows, let him train.
If a child refuses to chew, swallow, or pick up a spoon, E.O. Komarovsky advises to reconsider the diet. It is likely that the baby simply does not have time to get really hungry. This happens in families where the crumbs are given to eat “when the time has come”, and not when he himself asks for food. Overfeeding is not only the reason for the unwillingness of the baby to take part in the process itself, it can trigger the mechanisms of a variety of diseases. Therefore, overfeeding is more harmful than underfeeding.

Dear parents, be patient with your children and love them with all your heart. Only then will they develop according to all age norms!

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Child chokes on food | Mamovediya

Although the reluctance to swallow solid food is a natural response in many situations, and not just those involving food, infants and young children should not constantly choke.

If your child is constantly choking, or his face starts to turn red, or the skin around his lips turns blue, take your child to the doctor. In rare cases, this may indicate a problem requiring medical attention.

Although your dad may be alarmed that you choke on the first spoonful of solid food, this happens quite often when the baby starts eating. You have to learn to eat solid food.

In the sucking reflex, babies move their tongue to the front of their mouth and then up to the palate. They make 10 to 20 sucking movements, and then a big gulp follows. With solid food, however, the tongue must almost reverse, sending the food to the back of the mouth.

Learning to swallow solid food is not easy for an infant. And during the learning process, he may choke if food is directed to his windpipe instead of his stomach.

You can, however, make eating a much easier exercise when the baby does not choke. To do this, you need to master new feeding techniques.

Here are some expert tips.

Wait until the child starts to sit up. If your child is constantly choking on food while eating, it is possible that he has not yet reached the stage of development at which he is ready for this. Your baby must be at least four or five months old before you start solid food.

What is the advice? Give the child solid food when he has already learned to sit more or less confidently. When your child eats while seated, gravity will help guide the food from the mouth into the esophagus.

Start with liquid food . When your baby is really hungry, breastfeed or give him a bottle first to satisfy his appetite a little. If your child is not so desperately hungry, he will be able to handle the difficult task of swallowing solid food more easily.

Eat rice. Rice grains are an ideal first food for children because children are rarely allergic to rice and can be thinned by mixing with plenty of milk.

Your baby will have less difficulty eating porridge if the consistency is more like liquids he is used to swallowing. Once your baby has learned to swallow rice porridge, you can gradually move on to thicker, coarser foods.

Let the first feedings be small . The first solid food feedings are for practice, not for real nutrition.