Do you know what to do if your child chokes?

So we've been enjoying some Halloween candy! But last night in the 5 minutes I put a pot of water on the stove for dinner and took my youngest to the bathroom to try and potty, my 5 year old son started to choke. I heard him make a strange sound and told him to come to the bathroom. He came over to me with tears in his eyes, trying to clear his throat. *His airway wasn't completely obstructed.* I took my one year old off the toilet, put my oldest over my knee and immediately started giving him back blows between the shoulder blades. Since his airway was still partially open, I told him to cough and that did the trick! It was a small hard piece of candy that had gotten caught in his throat. I had already gone through his candy and pulled out the obvious choking hazards, but I initially wasn't worried about these since he had them before. He was sitting at the table eating them. But choking incidents can happen with all kinds of foods, so it never hurts to be prepared! I'll be dropping some links below if you need some resources to help you learn if you need it For a baby under 1: https://www.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/learn-first-aid-for-babies-and-children/choking-baby For a child 1 to puberty: https://www.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/learn-first-aid-for-babies-and-children/choking-child

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Thanks for sharing the links. I’m going to take a look I’m so glad you acted quickly and all is ok 💕

Omg Raqi thanks for sharing the useful news! I’m sorry that this happened u@ ur son! U handled it so well mama. I honestly don’t know what to do when a kid chokes so my Husband bought us the life vac when my son started eating solids. Thankfully I haven’t had to use it yet

I gotten AED and CPR certified way back when I was young teen and starting working at a daycare. I just made sure to get recertified every time it expired. Kids and babies choking can always be scary if you don’t know what to do or just aren’t good at staying calm in emergency situations.

You shouldn't have hit him on the back until he was actually choking. You could've had that move and could've completely blocked his airway. In first aid and cpr we learned You do not do back blows or anything unless they are 100% choking and no air is moving. If they are coughing they are breathing. If you hit their back you could move what is in their throat and they could actually start choking. I'm glad he's okay and nothing worse happened though.

@Raqi this is one of my biggest fears tbh

Yes, I did a first aid course for myself but I'm also now pediatric First aid trained officially.

@Alyssa good to know! Really appreciate you adding on to the helpful information here so that we can all do what we can to keep our babies safe

I'm so glad I've been working at places that require me to be CPR certified for infants, children, and adults. And I just got recertified recently. We've had some moments with my baby that has made my heart race but luckily he's been able to figure things out without me having to step in. And I've helped explain what to do to my husband multiple times. And yes if the person is still breathing and able to cough you are suppose to encourage them to keep coughing to get the obstruction out. It can be nerve-racking and feel like you're doing nothing but by observing and being ready to step in if needed you are still doing something.

I paid to do a the first aid course when I was pregnant, my LB ended up choking on a fridge magnet (not in our house) and I laid him across my knees and did the back blows but it wouldn’t dislodge. He was only 18 months so me saying “cough” was no good. My partner had to put his fingers in his mouth and pull it out. Yes we know this is not recommended, but it was the only way we could get it out. You do whatever you can do in that moment. Scariest moment of my entire life!

So glad he's okay and you knew what to do!! That must've been so scary

Reminds me that I should have our home visitor nurse bring her cpr doll next time so we can practice and refresh ourselves for emergencies! I'm glad your kiddo is okay and that you knew what to do!!

So scary 😔

I worked as a lifeguard in high school and college, so all forms of choking and CPR were taught! I need to get recertified on CPR again though

I'd recommend LifeVac to everyone!!! We have one for home (I'd take it when traveling) and thankfully we haven't needed it, but it's a wonderful peace of mind to have in the kitchen just in case we ever did actually need it.

Been there done that three times! Horrible. Hated it. But really put me to the test and I’m very glad I succeeded

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