How to perform the Heimlich maneuver in children
The Heimlich maneuver prevents the child from suffocating when he chokes on food, and causes him to expel the element that is choking him.
One of the basic pillars that they teach us in first aid is the Heimlich maneuver, very useful in cases of choking and that anyone can perform due to its simplicity and ease. In addition, it helps us save lives.
What we get with the Heimlich maneuver is to be able to unblock the object that is in the respiratory tract . Only in the most serious cases should we perform chest compressions.
Although we believe that the Heimlich maneuver can be the same in all cases, the truth is that there is no difference in first aid between whether the person who is choking is an adult or a child.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING CAREFUL WITH CHILDREN
Depending on the age of the children they will have more or less risk of choking or suffocation . When children acquire the ability to walk, play and observe everything, the idea of putting everything in their mouths , of trying it, may also join in. This is what can increase the risk of choking in a child, hence the importance of trying to monitor children who have just started to walk or eat solid foods.
If the child chokes, we will see him cough, gag, or even start crying. It is at this time when parents should not panic as time is very important in these situations . It is also important that preferably the person performing the Heimlich maneuver is someone with first aid knowledge.
If the child is conscious and is also able to speak or cough strongly, we will be talking about a mild choking, so possibly a pat on the back and the act of coughing may be enough to expel what is obstructing the airways.
But if we verify that the object still does not come out, we will have to apply the Heimlich maneuver. And is that if the brain is between 4 and 6 minutes without receiving oxygen we can end up unconscious and suffer brain damage.
THE HEIMLICH MANEUVER IN BABIES
When we talk about babies, we are talking about infants or children who can be carried with one arm.
First we must check if the baby is conscious or unconscious. If you are unconscious, it is best to call 911 .
If he is conscious, we must carry out a resuscitation of the respiratory tract , as it is known in first aid, since the Heimlich maneuver should not be performed on children under one year of age. It is very dangerous to do it in children under 12 months.
In this way, if our baby chokes, we must open the child’s mouth completely and give it five sharp blows on the back, on the height of the shoulder blades so that the object comes out. But if we find that the child is not breathing and coughing, it is best to call 911.
THE HEIMLICH MANEUVER IN CHILDREN
In those children older than one year and who can stand on their own feet, we can perform the Heimlich maneuver.
Although the procedure used is very similar to that of adults, it has some differences that it is better to know before performing it.
We can make variations depending on the severity and the child. It is important to remember the importance of speed in this type of maneuver since a choking can cause the death of the sufferer.
In a way, we will have to sit down to be able to adjust to the child’s height . We must surround the child with our arms and put our hands on the solar plexus or the mouth of the stomach. There we can put our hands on top of each other and lift our thumb to press on the pit of the stomach. J-shaped compressions should be done.
These compressions between the navel and the thorax are what will cause the pressure of the latter and will make the object that is obstructing the airways come out.
There is also another way, in this case we will lay the child up on a solid surface. We will place ourselves on an oak tree and we will be able to put our hands on top of each other on the surface between the sternum and the navel. We will push by pressing towards the thorax.
In both cases we will perform five compressions , according to the first aid rules. If, even with this maneuver, the child loses consciousness due to the lack of oxygen to the brain, it is best to call the emergency service , also the person who has suffered the choking must be watched at all times.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.