About choking

Choking happens when a child’s airways get blocked. Anything smaller than a 20-cent coin can cause an airway blockage and be a choking risk for children.

Partial airway blockage: choking signs

If a child’s airways are partially blocked, the child might:

• breathe noisily – for example, you might hear wheezing or a shrill, rattling sound when they breathe in
• try harder than normal to breathe
• lose or partially lose their voice
• be unable to cry
• gag
• grab or point at their throat
• try to cough
• seem anxious or agitated.

Complete airway blockage: choking signs

If a child’s airways are completely blocked, the child might:

• try to breathe, but no air comes out of their nose or mouth
• not be able to talk or cry
• seem anxious or agitated
• grab or point at their throat
• try to cough
• lose or change colour in their face
• lose consciousness quickly.

Airways can also become blocked when a child has an anaphylactic reaction, has severe croup, vomits during a seizure or loses consciousness. You treat these conditions and reactions differently from the way you respond to choking. It’s important to know your emergency action plan if your child has any of these conditions.

Choking first aid for airway blockage: babies under one year

If a baby under one year is choking, here’s what to do:

1. Phone 000 immediately.
2. Lay the baby face down along your thigh or forearm.
3. Use the heel of your hand to give up to 5 firm back blows between the shoulder blades. Look in the baby’s mouth between each blow to check whether the blockage has cleared.
4. If the blockage hasn’t cleared, lay the baby on their back, and give them up to 5 chest thrusts using 2 fingers in the centre of the chest, between the nipples. Look in the baby’s mouth between each thrust to check whether the blockage has cleared.
5. If the baby is still choking, alternate 5 back blows and 5 chest thrusts until emergency help arrives.
6. If the baby loses consciousness, start CPR.

When you’re checking whether a blockage has cleared, just look inside the child’s mouth. Don’t sweep the inside of the child’s mouth with your finger. This could cause the object to move further down the child’s throat.

Choking first aid for airway blockage: children and teenagers

For children aged over one year through to teenagers, here’s what to do:

1. Encourage the child to lean forward and cough. When they cough, support their upper body with your hand. For younger children, lay them across your lap.
2. If coughing doesn’t clear the blockage, phone 000 immediately.
3. Use the heel of your hand to give 5 firm back blows between the shoulder blades. Look in the child’s mouth between each blow to check whether the blockage has cleared.
4. If the blockage hasn’t cleared, place one hand in the middle of the child’s back. Place the heel of your other hand in the centre of their chest.
5. Do 5 chest thrusts. Thrust upwards and inwards with the heel of the hand that’s on the child’s chest. Look in the child’s mouth between each thrust to check whether the blockage has cleared.
6. If the child is still choking, alternate 5 back blows and 5 chest thrusts until emergency help arrives.
7. If the child loses consciousness, start CPR.

The child might swallow the object that they choked on and recover. If they swallow a non-food item like a button battery, call 000 for an ambulance or take them to a hospital emergency department immediately. Don’t encourage your child to vomit, and don’t give your child food and drink.

Check out our illustrated guides to choking first aid for babies and choking first aid for children and teens. You could print them out and display them somewhere handy, like your fridge.