About choking

Choking happens when a child’s airway gets blocked by something. 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 airway is partially blocked, they might:

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

Complete airway blockage: choking signs

If a child’s airway is completely blocked, they might:

• try to breathe, but no air comes out of their nose and/or mouth
• not be able to make any sounds
• seem anxious or agitated
• grab 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 or severe croup, vomits during a seizure or becomes unconscious. 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 facing down on 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 on the centre of the chest. 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.

Choking first aid for airway blockage: children and teenagers

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

1. Encourage the child to lean forward and cough. If that doesn’t clear the blockage, phone 000 immediately.
2. 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.
3. If the blockage hasn’t cleared, place one hand in the middle of the child’s back and the other hand in the centre of their chest.
4. Using the heel of the hand on the chest, do 5 chest thrusts. Look in the child’s mouth between each thrust to check whether the blockage has cleared.
5. If the child is still choking, alternate 5 back blows and 5 chest thrusts until emergency help arrives.
6. 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, take them to a hospital emergency department immediately.

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.