Choking first aid factsheet
Introduction
Choking happens when something blocks a child鈥檚 airway. This can happen if a child swallows food or a small object.
Young children are at a higher risk of choking because they are:
- curious and often put things in their mouths
- still learning how to chew and swallow their food properly.
When something gets stuck in the airway, the body tries to protect itself by tightening the muscles around the object to prevent it from going down the throat. Children鈥檚 airway muscles are not fully developed, so they cannot always cough the object up.
Items smaller than a 20-cent coin can choke a child under three years old. Some common choking hazards are:
- raw or hard fruit and vegetables
- large pieces of meat, bones, or sausage skins
- popcorn, nuts, hard lollies, and corn chips
- small magnets and batteries
- coins, beads, marbles, and small uninflated balloons
- broken toys
- small toys, like doll shoes or marbles.
聽Signs and symptoms
If your child is choking, they may:
- cough
- gag
- become unresponsive 鈥� like not waking up or responding when you touch or talk to them.
Your child may try to cough up the object.
The type of first aid you use to treat choking will depend on whether it is an effective or ineffective cough.
Signs that your child has had an effective cough include:
- crying
- talking or babbling in response to questions
- being able to cough loudly
- being able to take a breath before coughing
- being fully responsive.
Signs that your child has an ineffective cough include:
- being unable to cry, talk or respond to you
- a quiet or silent cough
- being unable to breathe
- having a bluish colour to their skin
- losing consciousness.
First Aid
First aid for effective cough
Encourage your child to keep coughing, which may help clear the airway.
Stay calm and continue to check your child's airway to see if the object or food has come out.
If your baby or child becomes unconscious, call Triple Zero (000) for an ambulance and start CPR immediately.
First aid for ineffective cough and your child is conscious
Call Triple Zero (000) for an ambulance.
If you are helping a BABY:
- lay your baby face down on your forearm, supporting their head.
- use the heel of your other hand to give up to five sharp back blows between their shoulder blades
- check between each blow to see if the object is out.
If the back blows don鈥檛 work:
- lay your baby along your thigh, head down, and give up to five chest thrusts
- place two fingers on the lower part of the chest and press down firmly, once per second
- repeat the cycle of five back blows and five chest thrusts until the object comes out.
If you are helping a CHILD:
- lay your child across your lap or lean them forward, supporting their head
- give up to five sharp back blows between their shoulder blades
- check after each blow to see if the object is out.
If the back blows don鈥檛 work:
- lay your child on their back on the floor
- place your hand on the lower part of the chest and press down once per second, up to five times
- repeat the cycle of back blows and chest thrusts until the object is out.
If your baby or child becomes unconscious, call Triple Zero (000) for an ambulance and start CPR immediately.
听惭补苍补驳别尘别苍迟
Prevention tips
To keep your home safe, regularly check for risks, reduce clutter, and store small items out of children鈥檚 reach.
At mealtimes
- give age-appropriate foods
- chop, grate, or mash hard fruits and vegetables, like grapes and carrots
- remove bones and skin from meat
- serve meat cooked through and cut into small pieces
- do not give whole nuts, hard lollies, or foods that can break into hard pieces, like apples
- try to avoid giving food while your child is laughing or crying
- teach toddlers not to hold food in their mouths
- teach toddlers to take small bites, chew well, and swallow each mouthful
- never force-feed babies and children.
Toys
- use age-appropriate toys that meet Australian safety standards
- use the choke check tool available at Product Safety to spot hazards
- teach older children about choking hazards with small toys
- keep bags and other items that may hold small objects away from young children.
Social events:
- store and dispose of party goods safely, including food and plastic items that may break into small pieces
- supervise young children around party foods
- ensure children are not playing or running while eating.
