It is one of the absolute horror scenarios: If children choke on their food or small toys, it can be life-threatening. Nevertheless, one should remain calm and become active in a targeted manner. The Medical Association of Upper Austria explains what needs to be done. In addition – and for practical exercise – it is advisable to attend an appropriate first aid course.
If infants swallow something, call rescue or have someone do it. Until the paramedics arrive, the infant is placed face down on the helper’s forearm. Fix the baby’s head on the jaw with your fingers. Make sure that your fingers do not press into the soft tissues of the neck, but only hold the jaw. Hold the arm on which the child is lying at a slight angle downwards. Now you have to use the other hand to place five strong blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. “The object or the food should be released from the throat with a few blows. If that doesn’t work, try again and then give ventilation,” says Fritz Firlinger, consultant for emergency doctors in the Upper Austrian Medical Association.
If older children swallow something (older than a year), also put five punches between the shoulder blades. The child is placed over the knee or bent forward and placed in front of you. Here, too, one hopes that the object will detach itself after a few hits and can be brought out. Otherwise ventilation is also necessary here. Firlinger advises against the “Heimlich maneuver” in children, as this grip can result in serious injuries in the chest area.
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