How to Learn the Heimlich Maneuver at Home with Babeside Baby?

Jun 28, 2024 by Kenny

Heimlich Maneuver for Infants（Under One Year Old）

The Heimlich Maneuver be employed only when a person is choking and a windpipe obstruction endangers his or her life.

Choking is signaled by an inability to speak, cough, or breathe, and may result in a loss of consciousness and death.

Choking occurs when a foreign object lodges in the throat or windpipe, blocking the airflow.

Young children often swallow small objects. Choking cuts off oxygen to the brain, so give first aid as quickly as possible. Avoid using excessive force in employing the Heimlich Maneuver to avoid injury to the ribs or internal organs. Given the potentially life-or-death nature of the situation, use your best judgment.

If the baby can cough or make sounds, let him or her cough and try to get the object out. Call your local emergency number if you are worried about the baby’s breathing.

WARNING: Do not begin the Heimlich Maneuver unless you are certain that the baby is choking.

Heimlich Maneuver for Conscious Infants (Under One Year Old)

Assume a seated position and hold the infant facedown on your forearm, which is resting on your thigh. Support the infant’s head and neck with your hand, and place the head lower than the trunk.
Thump the infant gently but firmly five times on the middle of the back using the heel of your hand. The combination of gravity and the back blows should release the blocking object. Keep your fingers pointed up to avoid hitting the infant in the back of the head.
Turn the infant face up on your forearm, resting on your thigh with the head lower than the trunk if the infant still isn’t breathing. Using two fingers placed at the center of the infant’s breastbone, give five quick chest compressions. Press down about ½ to 1 inch, and let the chest rise again in between each compression. Avoid the tip of the sternum.
Repeat the back blows and chest thrusts if breathing doesn’t resume – until the foreign body is expelled or the infant becomes unconscious. Call for emergency medical help.
Begin infant CPR if one of these techniques opens the airway but the infant doesn’t resume breathing.

Alternative method: Lay the infant face down on your lap, head lower than the torso, and firmly supported. Perform up to five back blows. Turn the infant on his or her back as a unit and perform up to five chest thrusts.

Heimlich Maneuver for Unconscious Infants (Under One Year Old)

Shout for help. Call your local emergency number.
Perform the tongue-jaw lift. (Grip on the jaw by placing your thumb in the infant’s mouth and grasping the lower incisor teeth or gums; the jaw then lifts upward.) If you see a foreign body, remove it.
If trained to do so, begin rescue breathing.
Perform the sequence of back blows and chest thrusts as described for a conscious infant.
After each sequence of back blows and chest thrusts, look for the foreign body and, if visible, remove it.
Resume rescue breathing.
Continue with the sequence of back blows and chest thrusts, and, after each sequence, continue to check for the foreign body, which should be removed.
If the foreign body is removed and the infant is not breathing, begin CPR.

CPR for Infants Under 12 Months

Step 1: If a baby is unconscious, check her mouth for airway blockages – for example, tongue, food, vomit, or blood. If there’s a blockage, use your little finger to clear it. Place the baby on her back to open her airway.
Step 2: Check for breathing. Listen to the sound of the breath, look for movements of the chest, or feel for the breath on your cheek.
Step 3: If the baby is breathing, place him in the recovery position by lying him face down on your forearm. Phone your local emergency services number. Check the baby regularly for breaths and responses until the ambulance arrives.
Step 4: Position two fingers in the center of the baby’s chest and give 30 compressions at a rate of about 100 compressions per minute. Each compression should depress the chest by about one-third.
Step 5: Tilt the baby’s head back very slightly with the chin lifted to bring the tongue away from the back of the throat, opening her airway. Take a breath and seal her mouth and nose with your mouth. Blow gently and steadily for about one second. Watch for the rise and fall of the chest. Take another breath and repeat the sequence.
Step 6: Continue giving 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths until medical help arrives. If the child starts breathing and responding, turn her into the recovery position. Keep watching her breathing and be ready to start CPR again at any time.

How to Prevent Choking in Infants and Toddlers

Found objects and food are the biggest choking hazards for babies. Keep small objects out of your baby’s reach. Talk to your child’s pediatrician about when it’s safe to introduce solid foods.

When giving your child solid foods, cut them into small pieces. As a general rule, pieces should be no larger than your fingertips. Foods that require chewing (like meat or cheese) should be in smaller pieces than soft foods (like avocado or watermelon).

Other ways to reduce your baby’s risk of choking include: