Understanding Choking in Babies
“My biggest fear is that my baby will choke on something…”
Sound familiar? Many new parents are often very anxious about being faced with a choking emergency situation. Myself included! And rightly so, it’s more common that we think and can be a silent and very scary situation. But don’t panic - we have the life saving skills to equip you with the know-how to tackle any infant choking emergency so that you feel confident and empowered in your response.
Babies and toddlers have a higher risk of choking due to their natural curiosity. Babies often put objects in their mouth to explore their new world and learn about the environment around them (this is totally normal!). This makes them a high risk for choking.
First, what actually is Choking?
Choking is when there is some type of obstruction in your child’s airway (trachea). When this happens, air is unable to flow normally into or out of the lungs, effecting your child’s ability to breathe properly. The obstruction can be labelled a partial obstruction or a complete obstruction.
Like the name suggests a partial obstruction will only partially occlude your child’s airway. Your child will still be able to breath, cough and make noise as some air can pass through the airway either side of the obstruction. In this instance keep your child upright; encourage your child to cough. Hopefully this will be all that is needed to clear your child’s airway.
A complete obstruction is when something is completely blocking your child’s airway. This causes your child to feel anxious, as they will not be able to breath, cough and will not be able to make any noise. In this situation you will need to implement your emergency DRSABC, call 000 for help and implement your choking management plan.
Choking & vomiting?
Another common and less talked about concern is, ‘ My child projectile vomited after choking’.
This is actually your babies’ gag reflex kicking into gear to protect their airway. This is not choking. Never the less pretty yuck and distressing to see.
I remember being on a flight overseas with my baby who I had just filled up on a dinner of veggies and lentils. As we waited for takeoff he was playing with a sticker. The next thing I knew, he was projectile vomiting, all over himself and me. All because he had put the sticker in the back of his mouth and stimulated his gag reflex.
Children have a sensitive gag reflex up until approx. six months of age. This helps to ensure they can protect their own airway and remove anything foreign that might cause harm.
What are the most common choking hazards in babies?
- Whole grapes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Baby carrots and other raw vegetables
- Hard chips
- Popcorn
- Hard cheese
- Hotdogs and sausages
- Whole nuts
- Hard lollies
- Small toys – marbles, Lego etc.
- Coins
Recommendations to reduce risk of your baby choking:
- Quarter grapes and tomatoes
- Cook raw vegetables or serve raw vegetables in match sticks or shredded
- Try alternative snacks like puffed corn or veggie chips that are easily dissolvable
- Quarter hotdogs and sausages
- Try grated cheese
- Avoid hard lollies (lets be honest, they don’t need them anyway)
- Pack away small toys
- Always sit your child upright to eat (i.e. using a highchair)
- Avoid feeding your child in the car
Our comprehensive baby first aid, CPR health education courses cover choking emergencies in detail. While the above advice is trusted and accurate, it is no substitute for practical and hands-on learning. Help at Hand offers health education and first aid courses that cover a range of first aid topics including a comprehensive dive into choking and response plans. For more information and support head to our courses page.