Choking first aid - adult or child over 1 year - series

Part 4

Performing first aid for a choking child is very similar to an adult. If the child does not clearly grab their throat other danger signs for a child and an adult include:

  • Inability to speak
  • Weak, ineffective coughing
  • Noisy breathing or high-pitched sounds while inhaling
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Bluish skin color
  • Loss of consciousness if blockage is not cleared

1. Stand behind the child and wrap your arms around the child’s waist.

2. Make a fist with one hand. Place the thumb side of your fist just above the child’s navel, well below the breastbone.

Heimlich maneuver on conscious child

Review Date: 07/08/2009
Reviewed By: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, Clinic. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)