Treatment: Conscious Infant

USE back blows and chest thrusts for an infant choking. Do not perform abdominal thrusts.

1 Take the infant in your arms (supporting the infant’s head and neck) as above. 2 Hold the infant on one arm in the face down position, holding the infant’s head and jaw in your palm. 3 With your other hand apply up to five back blows using the heel of your hand between the shoulder blades.

The object may become free at this stage. However, if not:

1 Turn the infant over on to his or her back. 2 Apply up to five chest thrusts using two fingers, pushing down on the breastbone just under the nipple line in the centre of the chest. 3 Constantly monitor the infant to see if the object is expelled. 4 If not, put the infant back on to its stomach and apply up to five back blows again. 5 Continue the alternating process of back slaps and chest thrusts until the object comes out, or until the infant can breathe or cry or until the infant stops responding. 6 Should the infant become unresponsive call for help; if nobody responds to your call, phone emergency services yourself and then start the steps of CPR.