First Aid for a Choking Child (1 year old to 12 years old)

How to perform first aid for a responsive versus an unresponsive choking child.

What is Choking?

Choking occurs when the airway becomes either partially or completely blocked by a foreign object (e.g., a piece of food, a small toy, or bodily fluids).

Signs of Choking

(1) Holding the neck - person may hold their neck with one or both hands.

(2) Facial expression - person may look panicked, confused, or surprised.

(3) Skin color - person may turn blue

(4) Sounds or no sounds - you may hear coughing OR sounds of a blocked airway (produces high-pitched squeaking noises, or trying to cough, speak, or cry but hear nothing at all).

Caring for a Responsive Choking Child

Give back blows

Give abdominal thrusts

Caring for an Unresponsive Choking Child

Please click CPR for a Child if the child becomes unresponsive.