All the while I thought you can perform the same CPR procedures amongst infants and adults but I was wrong. In line with our Mommy Moments topic for this Friday - First Aid Tips, I decided to do my research on choking and CPR for babies. What follows is a guide I copied from babycenter.com.ph...
POSITION:
Hold your baby so that he is lying face down along your forearm with his head lower than his body and his back and head supported.
STEPS:
* Use the heel of your hand to give up to five back blows.
* Check your baby's mouth and remove any obvious obstructions. Do not use your finger to sweep inside his mouth. This could push the obstruction further into his throat.
2. Give five chest thrusts
POSITION:
Turn your baby onto his back and give up to five chest thrusts:
STEPS:
* Use two fingertips to push inwards and upwards (towards his head) against his breastbone, one finger's width below his nipple line.
* Try to dislodge the object with each thrust. Don't automatically do all five.
* Check your baby's mouth after each thrust and remove the obstruction.
3. If the obstruction does not clear after three cycles of back blows and chest thrusts, call for an ambulance and continue giving your baby back blows and chest thrusts until help arrives.
* If you are on your own, carry out CPR for one minute before calling for an ambulance.
1. Quickly identify the problem
If your baby is choking, follow the steps described above to clear her airway. If she still has trouble breathing or is unresponsive, follow this procedure:
2. Open the airway and check the pulse
POSITION:
* Kneel at a right angle to your baby's chest. Lift her chin with one hand and push down on her forehead with the other to tilt her head back.
* With one hand on her forehead and the other supporting the back of her neck, gently tilt her head back to open the airway. In some cases, this may be enough to help breathing resume.
STEPS:
* Check for signs of breathing by listening for the sound of inhaling and exhaling. Check the pulse on the side of her neck or on the inside of her elbow.
* If she's not breathing, if you feel no pulse, or if her lips are turning blue, begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation at once.
3. Give five rescue breaths:
STEPS:
* Ensure the airway is clear.
* Seal your lips around your baby’s mouth and nose.
* Blow gently into the lungs, looking along your baby's chest as you breathe. Fill your cheeks with air and use this amount each time.
* As the chest rises, stop blowing and allow it to fall.
* Repeat this five times.
4. Give 30 chest compressions:
POSITION:
* Place your baby on a firm surface.
* Find the centre of your baby's chest. Imagine a line between your baby's nipples. Find the middle of that line and measure about one finger's width below that point. Now position two fingers of one hand on that spot.
STEPS:
* Press down sharply to a third of the depth of the chest.
* Press 30 times, at a rate of 100 compressions per minute.
* After 30 compressions, give two rescue breaths.
* Continue resuscitation (30 compressions to two rescue breaths) without stopping until help arrives.
IMPORTANT: Even if your baby seems to be fully recovered from the choking episode, take her to your doctor that day.
FIRST AID FOR CHOKING
1. Dislodge the blockagePOSITION:
Hold your baby so that he is lying face down along your forearm with his head lower than his body and his back and head supported.
STEPS:
* Check your baby's mouth and remove any obvious obstructions. Do not use your finger to sweep inside his mouth. This could push the obstruction further into his throat.
2. Give five chest thrusts
POSITION:
Turn your baby onto his back and give up to five chest thrusts:
STEPS:
* Try to dislodge the object with each thrust. Don't automatically do all five.
* Check your baby's mouth after each thrust and remove the obstruction.
3. If the obstruction does not clear after three cycles of back blows and chest thrusts, call for an ambulance and continue giving your baby back blows and chest thrusts until help arrives.
GIVING CPR TO YOUR BABY
* If you have someone with you, get them to call for an ambulance while you begin CPR.* If you are on your own, carry out CPR for one minute before calling for an ambulance.
1. Quickly identify the problem
If your baby is choking, follow the steps described above to clear her airway. If she still has trouble breathing or is unresponsive, follow this procedure:
2. Open the airway and check the pulse
POSITION:
* Kneel at a right angle to your baby's chest. Lift her chin with one hand and push down on her forehead with the other to tilt her head back.
* With one hand on her forehead and the other supporting the back of her neck, gently tilt her head back to open the airway. In some cases, this may be enough to help breathing resume.
STEPS:
* If she's not breathing, if you feel no pulse, or if her lips are turning blue, begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation at once.
3. Give five rescue breaths:
STEPS:
* Seal your lips around your baby’s mouth and nose.
* Blow gently into the lungs, looking along your baby's chest as you breathe. Fill your cheeks with air and use this amount each time.
* As the chest rises, stop blowing and allow it to fall.
* Repeat this five times.
4. Give 30 chest compressions:
POSITION:
* Place your baby on a firm surface.
* Find the centre of your baby's chest. Imagine a line between your baby's nipples. Find the middle of that line and measure about one finger's width below that point. Now position two fingers of one hand on that spot.
STEPS:
* Press 30 times, at a rate of 100 compressions per minute.
* After 30 compressions, give two rescue breaths.
* Continue resuscitation (30 compressions to two rescue breaths) without stopping until help arrives.
IMPORTANT: Even if your baby seems to be fully recovered from the choking episode, take her to your doctor that day.
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