Choking first aid - adult or child over 1 year - series
Part 4
Performing first aid for a choking child is very similar to an adult. If the child does not clearly grab their throat other danger signs for a child and an adult include:
- Inability to speak
- Weak, ineffective coughing
- Noisy breathing or high-pitched sounds while inhaling
- Difficulty breathing
- Bluish skin color
- Loss of consciousness if blockage is not cleared
1. Stand behind the child and wrap your arms around the child’s waist.
2. Make a fist with one hand. Place the thumb side of your fist just above the child’s navel, well below the breastbone.
Update Date: 7/16/2011
Updated by: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, Clinic. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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