Witnessing their baby choking on food is every parents nightmare. The combined feelings of confusion, panic and terror have often overwhelmed many parents in this situation. In fact, the amount of parents who admit that they would not know what to do in this type of situation is frightening.

St. John Ambulance is an organization that is dedicated to informing people about first aid. According to a video they posted, 40% of parents have witnessed their baby choking at some point, however 80% had no idea what to do in this situation. This highlights the need for increased awareness and information on how to properly dislodge choking hazards from babies.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtbUB1XPW_o

How to Keep Your Baby From Choking
Dislodging a choking hazard from a baby is much different from doing the Heimlich maneuver . This is because their bodies are still very delicate, and doing it the wrong way could leave them with serious injuries.

Here is a step-by-step procedure of how to stop a baby from choking.

Assess The Situation
If your baby is choking but you can hear them coughing and wheezing, do not interfere. This means that there is still air going to their lungs and that they are in no immediate danger. Trying to move the object blocking their airway at this point can cause it to become wedged deeper into their esophagus and only make the situation worse.

If it seems like your baby will not stop coughing, then you can begin the procedure. If you notice your baby ceasing to cough or make any noise then this may indicate that the
airway has become fully blocked. In this case you should call an ambulance immediately and begin the procedure as you wait for the ambulance.

Perform Back Blows
If you find that you need to physically intervene to keep your baby from choking, begin by using back blows.
Carefully position your baby so that they are lying face down on your forearm. Use your thumb and fingers to hold their jaw in place and lower your forearm to your thigh, so that your baby’s head is closer to the ground than their chest.

Using the heel of your hand, deliver five firm back blows between your baby’s shoulder blades. Make sure to maintain the support of your baby’s jaw by using your thumb and fingers.

Perform Chest Thrusts
If the back blows did not work, move on to chest thrusts. Place your baby face up on your forearm while supporting the back of their head with your hand. Make sure that their head is still closer to the ground than their chest.
Place the tips of two or three of your fingers in the center of the baby’s chest. To a chest thrust with these fingers, pressing straight down on the chest so that it moves about one and a half inches. Then allow the chest to come back to its normal position.

Perform five of these chest thrusts in a smooth fashion, do not panic and begin to make jerky movements. If this doesn’t work, alternate between chest thrusts and back blows.

Call An Ambulance
If your baby is continuing to choke or they become unconscious, it is time to call an ambulance. Continue to alternate between chest thrusts and back blows as you wait for the ambulance.

Can you call an ambulance in Nigeria?

Please copy and paste wisely.

NwaAmaikpe:




Can you call an ambulance in Nigeria?

Please copy and paste wisely.

Yes you can, I know you like trying your hardest to be controversial but sometimes be smart about it.

Ambulance services may not be widespread or reliable but they are there.

Put the post is so obviously copy and paste I wasn't even trying to hide it.

khalhokage:



Yes you can, I know you like trying your hardest to be controversial but sometimes be smart about it.

Ambulance services may not be widespread or reliable but they are there.

Put the post is so obviously copy and paste I wasn't even trying to hide it.

He is right about the ambulance part. In the case of emergency, abeg find okada not even car instead of waiting for ambulance.

sinaj:
He is right about the ambulance part. In the case of emergency, abeg find okada not even car instead of waiting for ambulance.

Madam, you've read the article and probably learned something new that could save you or someone you know from a lot of heartache, that was my entire purpose of posting this on nairaland, but trust Nigerians and especially nairalanders to be overwhelmingly negative.
Out of all the helpful information in the article you decided that the only one worthy of comment is the one that may not apply to you.

Last last na una sabi, learn how to save a child from choking or not it's your concern.

112 and 767 gets you an ambulance in Lagos. Dunno about other states but then, with the mad traffic situation and usual Nigerian logistics, sometimes waiting for them to arrive might be a bad decision.

ifyalways:
112 and 767 gets you an ambulance in Lagos. Dunno about other states but then, with the mad traffic situation and usual Nigerian logistics, sometimes waiting for them to arrive might be a bad decision.

Thank you for the information.