Daisy First Aid cover choking for babies in all of our classes. It’s a big concern for new parents and grandparent that are about to start weaning.
It’s vital to know what to do and act fast if a baby chokes. Practicing the techniques we show you in class is not only reassuring, it also helps to build muscle memory so you will know what to do if you are ever in that situation.
A frequent question that comes up is how to tell the difference between choking and gagging for babies and children. Here are the key differences:
Gagging:
- They will open their mouth & thurst their toungue forward.
- Their face may appear bright red
- They will splutter & cough (these are good signs that mean they are working it out)
- Babies/children have a very sensitive gag reflex designed to keep them safe from choking
Do not interfer with a gagging baby/child – this can lead to choking. Instead, let them work it out.
Choking:
- They will be silent and unable to make any noise
- They will begin to turn blue
- They may have a panicked look on their face
- They may begin to cough if there is a partial blockage (this is a good sign that they are clearing the blockage)
If a child is silent and turning blue, proceed to the standard measures to dislodge the blockage that we show you in our classes.
We find this video by BabyCentre demonstrates the difference really well…
Useful Video
This is a video of a baby gagging/mildly choking. It’s a really useful one to watch before you start weaning so you know what to expect:
Source: BabyCentre Youtube Channel