What to do if a baby chokes while eating? This is a situation that many mothers easily encounter when feeding their babies. Especially after six months, when mothers start to add complementary foods to their babies, they need to be highly cautious to prevent the baby from choking. Let's take a look at some solutions for when a baby chokes while eating.
1. Back Patting Method: For smaller babies, parents can hold the baby's feet and gently pat the baby's back; or support the baby's neck with one hand and let the baby lean down on the parent's arm while the other hand pats the baby's back; or let the baby lie face down on the parent's lap, with the head down and chest supported, patting the back 4 times to help the child cough out foreign objects.
2. Induce Vomiting Method: Insert a finger into the baby's mouth to stimulate the back of the tongue and induce vomiting, suitable for foreign objects closer to the throat; and use gauze to promptly remove secretions from the baby's mouth and nose to keep the airway clear.
3. Compression Method: For larger babies, abdominal compression can be performed to expel foreign objects. Hold the child's waist, use the index, middle, and ring fingers of both hands to press on the upper abdomen, exert pressure towards the upper back, release, and repeat rhythmically to create an impact airflow and flush out the foreign object.
Precautions:
Choking on foreign objects in the trachea can be very dangerous and can lead to suffocation and death, so prevention is crucial:
1. Educate the baby not to put things picked up randomly into their mouths to avoid inhaling into the trachea.
2. During meals, do not let the child cry, laugh, play, or talk to prevent food from entering the airway.
3. For toddlers who have just started walking, adults must be careful not to place coins, melon seeds, or peanuts within their reach.
4. The posture for feeding milk or water should be correct, not lying flat. Hold the baby at a 45° angle. The feeding speed should be slowed down, the size of the nipple should not be too large, and do not feed the baby when they are too hungry or crying to prevent choking and coughing.
