choking small child!

[bam02]

Just wanted to share this from a couple of days ago now shock over. As it might help someone else....


My daughter who is five and in year 1 - not a very small child, but she was only 5 in August and is petite. Well
she walked into the room wheezing and gagging! I wasn't initially sure what the matter was. But she couldn't talk (Later on she told everyone that was the worst thing-as she never shuts up normally. Bless her!)

I didn't know what she had eaten. I now find it was probably a crisp from the party food for son's 13th birthday at weekend.

I grabbed her and put her on my lap and hit her between the shoulder blades and she started to feel sick and threw up.

Never done first aid but heard it might work.

It was awful, hubby was out with son laser questing. I phoned the out of hours doctors it was weekend, but I think i said I had dealt with it. So not urgent, but wish I had stressed I was more worried than I did.

But anyway the Bury and Rochdale doctors on call did call back about an hour later and said just watch for a chest infection in case she got food in her wind pipe.

But she was absolutely fine after wards. I am not sure I was, but I was proud of myself.?!

Thanx for listening!

[gizmoracer]

Well done, you have every reason to be proud of yourself.

I remember my son choking on a malteeser when he was 17 mths old, I was breastfeeding my daughter at the time and just froze. Luckly hubby and in-laws were there and his Dad just scooped him up, half tipped him upside down and gave him a good whollop on the back. I just looked on in horror dispite having done first aid courses myself. Needless to say he was fine. But OMG was it terrifiying.

[bam02]

Thank you for mentioning that makes me feel so proud even more!

My life is not full of proud moments. Probably due to negative memories brought on by PNI!

[gizmoracer]

Its strange really, its just those small things that make you feel like a real mum that mean so much deep down.

[monica]

Hi Bam

What a star! So proud of you. It must have been so scary seeing your daughter choking but you did all the right things. Crisps can be awful (you wouldn't think that would you?) - my eldest starting choking on a pringle once and it was horrible.

Monica

[Veritee]

OH I know how frightening this is !!!!!!
Caja choked on two occasions, once a 2p stuck in her throat and the other she had a fromage frais foil top stuck at the back of her throat.

Telling this now I wonder that I am have been an irresponsible mother to let her get those things in her mouth! but I ddi not leave them untidly around, she jsut managed to find them somehow - the two pence was accidently dropped on the floor, not sure by who and the top I left on her high chair tray when I turmed my back for a minute to answer a phone call having just opened the fromage frais

I really do believe that if I had not taken the action I did she might not now be alive - it is amazing how quickly it can happen

Both times I did the Heimlich Manoeuvre for babies ( as a youth worker we have first aid training ) with the fromage frias top this did not work and I had to hold her mouth open and remove it with tweezers - unfortunately I now know that the advice is:
'DO NOT try to grasp and pull out the object if the infant is conscious.'

But I did and it worked thankfully - and I am sure the foil fromage frais top would not have been moved any other way and there was no time to get her to an expert at a hospital, so sometimes you just have to risk it, use your initative and just take action!!!!

But it was just so frightening and living 20 miles from the main hospital and 8 from any minor injuries unit I could never have got her there on time if I had not.

She was fine as soon as the objects were out

But I was so shaky for days


And you did exactly the right thing - the Heimlich Manoeuvre is the thing to do:

As what you did do was the first of the part of the Heimlich Manoeuvre for infants as it is is to turn them over on your lap and bang five times sharply between the shoulder blades -


I did the second part which was to :
Turn the infant face up. Use your thigh or lap for support. Support the head.
Place 2 fingers on the middle of his breastbone just below the nipples.
Give up to 5 quick thrusts down, compressing the chest 1/3 to 1/2 the depth of the chest.



www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000048.htm

As I did not know about banging their back as I was only taught first aid in adults, but luckily I did know to use two fingers with an infant and not a whole fist like with adults

I hope you are OK now and at least your quick action did the trick

You definitely SHOULD be proud of yourself- for doing the right thing and so promptly

Veritee

[Scarlet]

Bam you should be so proud, your instincts took over and you did the right thing.

I was one of the First Aiders in my workplace, but when my eldest was choking as a toddler on a tiny piece of meat (around 9 years ago), I still got flustered and panicked and my heart raced. I didn't have PNI ~ but I remember it like it was yesterday and can still feel the fear I felt at the time. I just wasn't cool and collected like I had been when I was practicing on the rubber type models. It just wasn't the same and I can't imagine anyone can be cool and collected when their own child is in a position like this. Anyways I got him over my knee and a few sharp smacks on his back and the item came out. It was so tiny as well.

I remember my mother telling me that when my brother was a toddler he put a pea up his nose, and she had to get it out with tweezers. There are seven of us, and we got up to all sorts of mischief, so she had to have eyes in the back of her head. I am surprised we are all still here

You did well hun

Hugs

Scarlet
X

[marion]

It must have been the weekend for choking as Chloe nearly choked on a lolli pop that Santa had given her. Luckily she was sick and it dislodged itself but it is so scary. Bam, you did so well!

Love
Marion.

[cheshire]

Well done BAMx That would have totally freaked me out!

[helenr]

Hi BAM,

well done you!

Even with my medical background, I would still have panicked if my babies choked.

You did yourself proud x

[bam02]

All these wishes are wonderful. thank you! I acted so quick, shows my panic attacks and anxiety build up too slow... Allow at the time its quick - shows the fight or run response is useful sometimes...