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发帖数: 16686 | 1 http://www.whattoexpect.com/toddler/childhood-injuries/first-ai
First Aid for a Choking Child
The best way to help a choking child is to be prepared—and that means
enrolling in a CPR class (or a refresher course) so you'll know what to do
in case of an accident. But there are other steps you can learn so that you
know what to do—and how to act immediately if see your child choking.
How choking happens: It goes without saying that it’s a scary thing to see
a choking child. Usually, it happens when a baby or young child tries to
swallow a piece of food or small object (like a coin or a little toy) and
instead of going smoothly down the esophagus, the object gets lodged in the
windpipe and blocks air from flowing in and out of the lungs. Children
younger than four are particularly at risk for these types of injuries. That
’s because they explore by putting practically everything (even objects
that are off-limits) in their mouths; they aren’t adept at chewing (after
all, it can be tough without a full set of teeth); and their airways are
still quite small (which means that some foods that adults and older kids
can safely swallow pose a risk to little kids).
Signs of a child choking include:
Gasping, wheezing, or inability to breathe
Inability to talk, cry, or make noise
Bluish color to the skin
Panicked look
Grabbing at the throat (in toddlers)
What to do when your child is choking:
If you see your child choking, but he can still cough or cry, that means his
trachea is probably only partially blocked. In that case, it’s best that
you wait to see if your child can cough the object out on his own.
Interfering could make matters worse, and most likely, your little one will
be able to get the object out after a brief coughing spell.
If you see your child choking and he’s unable to cough or breathe, and you
don’t know how to do the Heimlich maneuver on a baby under one or on a
child or have forgotten how to do it, call 911 immediately. Don’t reach
into your child’s mouth to search for the object since this can lodge the
object more deeply and cause more damage.
If you do know how to do the Heimlich maneuver, start doing it immediately
and get someone to call 911. If your little one loses consciousness,
carefully look in his mouth to check for the object. If you see the object
and can safely take it out with a sweep of your finger, do so and start
infant CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) or CPR for children over one.
Then wait for medical help to arrive. If you don’t see the object, start
CPR, and wait for help.
When to call the doctor: Call 911 whenever you suspect a child is choking or
having trouble breathing. Even after you’ve resolved a choking episode —
your child has coughed up the object on his own or you’ve done Heimlich or
CPR — call your doctor to help to make sure your child is really okay.
How to prevent choking in children:
To safeguard against your child choking, take the following precautions.
Take a first-aid course, which should include learning the Heimlich
maneuver and CPR. To find one in your area, contact your local hospital or
ask your pediatrician.
Babyproof your home to minimize the chances that your baby gets his
hands on choking hazards. Do another round of childproofing before your baby
starts walking.
Make sure your child eats at the table, or at least while sitting down,
since moving around while eating can lead to choking.
Cut food into pieces no larger than a quarter inch.
Stay close by whenever your child eats.
Avoid toys with small or broken parts, and keep jewelry and small
household items (such as coins, marbles, pen caps, and button batteries) out
of the reach of infants and young children.
Use a toilet-paper tube as a guide: Make sure that teething toys and
pacifier shields are too large to fit through it (if they’re smaller, they
could get stuck in your child’s windpipe).
Do a weekly check under furniture and between cushions for coins and
other small items that children might find and put in their mouths.
Keep pieces of latex balloons away from your child since they pose a
choking risk to kids as old as eight.
The following foods are choking hazards to babies and little kids: hot
dogs (unless you slice them into small, quarter-sized pieces); nuts and
seeds; chunks of meat or cheese (unless you slice them into quarter-sized
pieces); whole grapes (halve or quarter them to reduce the risk of choking);
hard, gooey, or sticky candy; popcorn; chunks of peanut butter; raw
vegetables and chunks of hard fruit (like apples — serve them in thin
slices to your toddler); chewing gum; and dried-out raisins. | t*o
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