First Aid Procedures for Babies & Children

[Baby~amore`]

I attended a First Aid information discussion for babies and kids session by a guest speaker at an Australian breast feeding meeting and they gave us Fact sheets from Westmead Children's Hospital - I think they would be an excellent link to have here on a variety of safety topics.The Nurse said first recommedations change all the time and even they have to update some of there fact sheets.

However On Choking she told us

with a partial blockage

What to do if a young child chokes on food
Check first if the child is still able to breathe, cough or cry. If the child is breathing, coughing or crying, he or she may be able to dislodge the food by coughing.
Do not try to dislodge the food by hitting the child on the back because this may move the food into a more dangerous position and make the child stop breathing. Stay with the child and watch to see if their breathing improves.
If the child is not breathing easily within a few minutes, phone 000 for an ambulance.

If the child is not breathing
Try to dislodge the piece of food by placing the child face down over your lap so that their head is lower than their chest.
Give the child four sharp blows on the back just between the shoulder blades. This should provide enough force to dislodge the food.
Check again for signs of breathing.
If the child is still not breathing, urgently call 000 and ask for an ambulance. The ambulance service operator will be able to tell you what to do next