Information provided is not a substitute for professional medical advice and you always seek appropriate professional help or seek immediate medical attention for serious conditions. See full disclaimer here

🧸 How to Help a Choking Baby or Child

Choking can happen suddenly — and it’s every parent or carer’s worst fear.
Knowing exactly what to do, calmly and quickly, could save a child’s life.

Here’s what to do if a baby or child is choking.

⚠️ Step One: Check What’s Happening

If a child is coughing loudly or crying, it means their airway is only partly blocked.
👉 Encourage them to keep coughing — this is the body’s best way to clear the blockage.

If they can’t breathe, cry, cough, or make a sound, their airway is completely blocked and they need immediate help.

👶 For a Baby (Under 1 Year)

Step 1: Give Up to 5 Back Blows

1. Sit down and support the baby face-down along your forearm, with their head lower than their body.

2. Use the heel of your hand to give up to 5 firm blows between the shoulder blades.

3. Check after each blow to see if the object has cleared.

If the blockage remains:

Step 2: Give Up to 5 Chest Thrusts

1. Turn the baby over, keeping their head lower than their chest.

2. Place two fingers in the centre of the chest, just below the nipple line.

3. Push down sharply up to 5 times.

4. Check between each thrust.

👉 Alternate 5 back blows and 5 chest thrusts until the object comes out or the baby starts to breathe.

If the baby becomes unresponsive, start CPR immediately — see How to Perform CPR — and call 999 or 112.

🧒 For a Child (Over 1 Year)

Step 1: Give Up to 5 Back Blows

1. Stand or kneel behind the child.

2. Support their chest with one hand and lean them forward.

3. With the heel of your other hand, deliver up to 5 firm blows between the shoulder blades.

4. Check if the blockage clears after each blow.

If not:

Step 2: Give Up to 5 Abdominal Thrusts

1. Stand behind the child and wrap your arms around their waist.

2. Make a fist and place it just above the belly button.

3. Pull sharply inwards and upwards up to 5 times.

4. Check between each thrust.

👉 Alternate 5 back blows and 5 abdominal thrusts until the object comes out or the child starts breathing.

IF YOU HAVE ADMINISTERED ABDOMINAL THRUST THEY MUST GO TO A&E

If the child becomes unresponsive, start CPR immediately and call 999 or 112.

🚑 After the Incident

Even if the child seems fine afterwards, they should always be checked by a healthcare professional, as choking can cause internal bruising or airway irritation.

🧠 Preventing Choking

• Cut food (like grapes, sausages, and carrots) into small pieces.

• Avoid giving whole nuts to children under 5.

• Supervise mealtimes.

• Keep small objects and toys out of reach.

• Teach children to sit still while eating — not to run, play, or talk with food in their mouth.

Learn Paediatric First Aid with DAC Education

Our Paediatric and Family First Aid courses teach parents, carers, and teachers how to respond confidently to emergencies like choking, bleeding, and burns.
Hands-on training builds calm, quick reactions when seconds count.

👉 Join a Paediatric First Aid Course
(Delivered at our Suffolk HQ or on-site for groups of six or more.)

Disclaimer

This article offers general first aid advice for public use. Always call 999 or 112 in a choking emergency or if you’re unsure what to do.