Resources of Rescuing a Choking Child and CPR
Scary times may come when an infant or toddler chokes. They are so curious and always put things in their mouths (sometimes their noses or ears too). Over at BabyCenter, some critical signals parents should be aware of when any accidents of choking happen:
If your baby is suddenly unable to cry or cough she probably has something blocking her airway, and you will need to help her get it out. She may make odd noises or no sound at all while opening her mouth, and her skin may turn bright red or blue. If she is coughing or gagging, her airway is only partially blocked, most likely because some food or liquid has gone down her windpipe instead of her esophagus, the tube that leads to the stomach.
BabyCenter also posted illustrated guides to infant and toddler CPR which are valuable for parents to keep as safety reference, just in case. If you want some more backup resources and info, here I list some free on-line CPR video demonstrations offered by the University of Washington School of Medicine :
- Infant CPR Video Demonstration (about 38 secs. video show)
- First Aid for a Choking Conscious Infant (below 1 year old) – steps with video demonstration
- Choking Child Video Demonstration (about 19 secs. video show)
- Child CPR Video Demonstration (about 49 secs. video show)
CPR training course:
American Red Cross – over at this website, you can find a CPR training course near you.