When a child is choking, it means that an object — usually food or a toy — is stuck in the trachea (the airway), keeping air from flowing normally into or out of the lungs, so the child can't breathe properly.

Most of the time, the food or object only partially blocks the trachea, is coughed up, and breathing returns to normal quickly. Kids who seem to be choking and coughing but still can breathe and talk usually recover without help. It can be uncomfortable and upsetting for them, but they're generally fine after a few seconds.

Choking can be a life-threatening emergency. Your child might be choking if he or she suddenly:

• begins gasping or wheezing
• can't talk, cry, or make noise
• begins to turn blue in the face
• grabs at his or her throat or waves arms
• appears panicked

 

What to Do

• If your child is choking, call doctor right away or have someone else call. If you are trained to do abdominal thrusts (also known as the Heimlich maneuver), do so immediately. If not done correctly, however, this maneuver could hurt your child.
• Do not reach into the mouth to grab the object or pat your child on the back. Either could push the object farther down the airway and make the situation worse.

 Keep the following in mind:

• If your child is gagging and coughing but can breathe and talk, the airway is not completely blocked and it's best to do nothing. Your child will likely be fine after the coughing spell.
• If your child was choking and is now unconscious and no longer breathing, send someone to call medical help. Immediately perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if you've been trained.
• Take your child for medical care after any serious choking episode, especially if there is a persistent cough or wheezing. If your child is having difficulty breathing or swallowing, go to the emergency room.

 

Think Prevention!

Here are three ways to prevent choking:

• Children younger than 4 years old should avoid eating foods that are easy to choke on, including nuts, raw carrots, popcorn, and hard or gooey candy. Cut food like hot dogs and grapes into small pieces.
• Make sure kids sit down, take small bites, and don't talk or laugh with mouths full when eating.
  Pick up anything off the floor that might be dangerous to swallow, like deflated balloons, pen caps, coins, beads, and batteries. Keep toys or gadgets with small parts out of reach.
• Learn how to do abdominal thrusts and CPR, which usually are taught as part of any basic first-aid course.