The child is suffocating - the Heimlich maneuver

Techniques of performing this maneuver

They differ depending on the position of the child:

• If the child is standing or sitting, approach him/her from behind and put both your arms around the child's chest, under the armpits. Place one hand, clenched in a fist, in the middle of the abdomen, just above the navel, and put the other hand around the clenched fist. Then press upwards 5 times in a row, taking care not to press the tip of the sternum and the lower edge of the ribs. Take the position that suits you best - you can lift the child, kneel behind him/her or put the child on a chair.
• If the child is lying (unconscious), the Heimlich procedure is performed as follows: the child is put to lie on his/her back, and the head is straightened, so that the face is turned upwards. Straddle the child's legs, put the heel of one hand in the middle of his/her abdomen (above the navel, below the tip of the sternum), place the other hand over the first and press upwards 5 times in a row. If the foreign object becomes visible after these procedures, remove it and continue with artificial respiration. If artificial respiration does not lead to the chest rising, repeat the same procedure to expel the foreign object or apply another procedure.

In case of a severe obstruction, where you are not able to expel the foreign object by slaps on the back or the Heimlich procedure, start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) immediately, without delay! Apply 5 test breaths, and if the passage of air is still blocked, continue with CPR only by pressing on the chest. Call the emergency medical service a minute or two after the resuscitation begins!

What not to do: Do not try to remove an object from the child's mouth if the object cannot be seen! There is a serious risk of pushing the object even deeper into the trachea and thus aggravating the child's condition.