Choking

Call 911

If the baby is coughing hard, crying or making noise, let them cough and watch closely. Act right away if the baby can't cry, cough or breathe, or turns blue.

Under 1 year

1. Have someone call 911.
2. Place the baby face down along your forearm, head lower than the chest. Support the jaw with your hand without covering the mouth. Rest your arm on your thigh.
3. Give 5 firm back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your other hand.
4. Turn the baby face up on your other arm, supporting the head. Give 5 chest thrusts with the heel of one hand, in the center of the chest just below the nipples, pushing about 1.5 inches (4 cm).
5. Repeat 5 back blows and 5 chest thrusts until the object comes out or the baby cries, coughs or breathes.
6. If the baby stops responding, start CPR. Before each breath, look in the mouth: remove the object only if you can see it.

Child 1 year or older

1. Stand or kneel behind the child, leaning them forward.
2. Give 5 firm back blows between the shoulder blades.
3. Give 5 abdominal thrusts: your fist above the belly button and below the ribs, push in and up.
4. Repeat until the object comes out. If the child stops responding, start CPR.

What not to do

• Don't do a blind finger sweep to look for the object: you can push it deeper.
• Don't give abdominal thrusts to a baby under 1 year.
• Don't hold the baby upside down by the feet or shake them.