Choking in babies under 1 year

Your baby can choke on small bits of food, household items or small toys. They may put small objects in their mouth.

If your baby is choking, you may notice that:

they appear to be crying or coughing but no sound is coming out - this is sometimes called a silent cough
they are unable to cough
their face may be pale
their lips may be blue

Emergency action required: Call 112 or 999 immediately if:

your baby is not conscious or is unresponsive

First aid for choking in babies under 1 year

If your baby is conscious but they are not coughing effectively, you will need to deliver first aid.

Step 1 - slap it out

Sit down. Hold your baby's face down on your knee. Make sure to support their head, jaw and neck. Their head should be lower than their body.

Give 5 back blows using the heel of your hand between your baby’s shoulders.

First aider demonstrating back thrust with an infant CPR dummy — Baby back thrust

If you can see the object, try to remove it. But never put your finger blindly into your baby's mouth if you do not see anything there. This is because you could end up pushing the object further in.

If this does not work, move on to step 2.

Step 2 - squeeze it out

Turn your baby over so they are lying face up along your thighs. Make sure you support their head and neck.

Give 5 chest thrusts by finding their breast bone. This is in the centre of their chest, in line with their armpits.

First aider demonstrating chest thrust with an infant CPR dummy — Baby chest thrust

Place 2 fingers in the middle of their chest and push sharply on the chest. Try and use an inward and upward motion if you can.

Emergency action required: Call 112 or 999 for emergency help if:

your baby is still unable to cough

Step 3 - call 112 or 999

Keep doing 5 back blows and 5 chest thrusts. Do this until the object pops out, the ambulance arrives or your baby becomes unresponsive.

Important

If your baby becomes unresponsive, you will need to begin CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation).

Learn how to give CPR to your child

The emergency phone operator will also guide you through how to give CPR.

If during CPR you see the object, remove it with your fingers. Do not place your fingers into your baby's mouth if you cannot see the object.

If the object does come out, you should still get medical help afterwards. This is in case part of the object remains or your child has been injured during the choking or first aid.

Do not use anti-choking devices

Do not use anti-choking devices if your child is choking. These are devices that clear the airway by using suction. There is not enough research on how well they work and how safe they are.

If you use an anti-choking device you could delay getting the correct treatment for choking.

Always follow the first aid steps if a baby under 1 is choking.