How to save a child who is choking?

As parents, there is nothing more important in the world than the safety of our children. We know that it is absolutely inevitable that the child will suffer a accident at some point, such as a fall, blow, cut, sprain, etc. And although it is something natural… it is also something that take our sleep (which is also natural).

One of the most persistent fears between parents is Would you know how to react to an emergency situation? and help my child in an accident? It's a thought that often assails us... and fills us with insecurity. In today's article, we will explain How shall we proceed when a child chokes; which, unfortunately, is a very common situation.

Children are very curious and have the tendency to put everything in your mouth, to explore and learn about the world around you. This action helps develop your senses, know the shape of objects and strengthen your immune system. This is normal behavior that offers them sensory balance, but parents must be aware precaution to avoid possible accidents… and if this happens, they must know how to act quickly to avoid further complications.

Choking is common in children between 6 months and 3 years. We will know that we are facing a possible choking if the child presents coughing, difficulty speaking or breathing, hoarseness, paleness or purple lip color In extreme cases, the child may even stop breathing and lose consciousness.

If the child is conscious and coughing, place the child in an upright position and encourage him to keep coughing. If the child is conscious but the cough is weak or ineffective, it would be a serious obstruction. In this case, the first thing is that if there is someone close to us, you should immediately call the emergency services ask for help while we try remove the object from the trachea who got stuck.

To do this, the first step is check if the object is accessible and if possible, make it easier by looking inside the child's mouth and removing the object with your hand. Then, the corresponding maneuver must be performed to clear the airways: For babies less than 1 year you need to give 5 blows to the mid-back region with the palm of your hand and then give 5 blows to the mid-chest region with two fingers. And if it's about an older child, (over one year old) we must perform the Heimlich maneuver, which consists of giving 5 blows to the back and then giving 5 blows to the abdomen.

These maneuvers must be repeated until the child expels the object and can breathe normally again. And if the child loses consciousness, it is necessary to perform the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). It is also important to remember that in the event of choking, minutes are vital to avoid complications. That's why, parents need to be prepared to act quickly in this situation.