2 Steps for Rescuing a Choking Infant

Summary

    – Step 1: Method 1: The Mofenson Maneuver

    – Step 2: Method 2: The Heimlich Maneuver

    – An infant can choke on food but also small objects, a toy, a coin, etc. If he coughs for a few moments, do nothing, coughing is the best way to evacuate the stuck object.

    – However, if your child has violent coughing fits and turns red, you must act quickly, which means his airways are blocked. If there is more than one of you, immediately call the emergency response unit or the fire department. This will allow for faster arrival of help if the following methods fail.

    – Here is how to rescue a choking infant while waiting for help.

    – Note: Never hesitate to call the emergency response unit or the fire department if your baby is choking, especially an infant. Even if your baby is better when they arrive, it is still important to perform tests to see if the lack of oxygenation has caused any after-effects.

 Method 1: Mofenson maneuver

To perform the Mofenson maneuver on a choking infant:

    – Sit in a chair and lay the infant on your arm. The infant should be lying on his or her stomach, feet toward you, and the head should be lower than the body.

    – Be careful to support the baby’s head, but do not press on the neck.

    – With the palm of your hand, give 5 slaps on the infant’s back, well between the shoulder blades.

    – Check to see if the foreign object is out: open your child’s mouth and gently remove the object. Be extremely careful not to push the object back into the child’s throat.

If this tactic works, you should still seek prompt medical attention to ensure the infant is not left with any after-effects.

Method 2: Heimlich maneuver

The abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver) are used to rescue a choking adult.

However, it can be adapted for infants. If your child is still unable to breathe after the 5 back slaps:

    – Turn him or her onto his or her back, still balancing on your forearm.

    – Hold him firmly, keeping his head down.

    – Locate the center of the child’s chest: imagine a line between the two nipples, and move down about a finger’s width below this line.

    – At this point, give five compressions with your index and middle fingers by pressing inward and upward on the chest.

    – Between each compression, check the child’s mouth to see if the foreign body has been expelled.

If the five compressions don’t work, repeat a series of five slaps, five more compressions, etc.

Once your child is better, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (“mouth-to-mouth”) should be performed if your child becomes unconscious until help arrives.

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