What To Do If Your Baby Chokes

What To Do If Your Baby Chokes

If your baby is choking, they may not be able to make any noise. For babies up to 1 year: If your baby is unconscious, do CPR. If your baby is conscious, find out what steps to follow.

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Steps to take if your baby is choking 

If your baby is choking, they may not be able to make any noise.

The following steps are for babies up to 1 year.

If your baby is unconscious, do CPR.

Check how to do CPR

If your baby is conscious, follow these steps:

Step 1

Call for help.

Step 2

Hold the baby down lengthwise on your arm or knee.

Step 3

Firmly support the head by holding the jaw.

Step 4

Give 5 back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.

Image showing a woman giving back slaps to a choking baby

Step 5

If the obstruction still hasn't come out, turn the baby over face up with head lower than the body.

Step 6

Give 5 chest compressions in the same place as for CPR, but at a slower rate (1 every 3 seconds).

image showing a woman giving chest compressions to a choking baby

Step 7

Only remove the object if you can see it. Do not try to fish for it as you may push the object down further.

Step 8

Continue back blows and chest thrusts until the object comes out. If the baby becomes unconscious, follow the basic life support steps and do CPR.

Acknowledgements

Images of woman with baby reproduced courtesy of St John Ambulance, UK. 

This page last reviewed 31 October 2023.

Call Healthline on 0800 611 116 any time of the day or night for free health advice when you need it