British Red Cross: First Aid for Choking
British Red Cross: First Aid for Choking
With the arrival of Halloween, the children in your care will be looking forward to lots of spooktacular celebrations. But a combination of the little ones running about, games, messy and sensory play can lead to an increased risk of choking in your setting.
Whilst every step is taken to prevent choking happening in childcare settings, it’s important to know what to do if a child in your care is choking.
Here’s how to help if a child aged over one is choking:
1. Coughing is usually enough to clear a mild blockage, but if they are unable to breathe, cough or speak, you will need to help them clear the blockage.
2. Give up to five back blows. Bend them forward and hit them firmly on their back, between the shoulder blades. C heck their mouth and remove any obvious obstruction from the front of their mouth with your fingertips, but do not sweep the mouth with your finger.
3. If back blows do not dislodge the blockage, give up to five abdominal thrusts. Hold the child around the waist and pull inwards and upwards above their belly button. Make sure that they are bending forward.
4. Call 999 if the blockage does not dislodge. Continue with cycles of back blows and abdominal thrusts until the blockage dislodges, help arrives, or the child becomes unresponsive.
If you would like to learn how to help a baby under the age of one who is choking download our first aid app.
Support different learning styles with a blended course
Red Cross Training’s blended paediatric first aid course is available to book now. It includes one day of online training and one day of face-to-face training.
Blended learning is a great way to combine the benefits of different learning styles. While some people prefer face-to-face learning, others favour learning via a mix of media including audio, video and text. Blended learning is an ideal way to combine the benefits of both styles.
Blended learning is also easy to fit around other commitments: learners can complete the first half of the course online, at their own pace, anytime in the two weeks before the face-to-face, practical part of the course.
Please note the information in this article is provided by the British Red Cross and does not represent Morton Michel.