choking...ever happened to your dc?

[2boysmom]

I was caught off-guard this morning. My son (13) apparently was choking on his corn flakes. Thankfully he's okay now. I pounded on his back a couple of times, but I'm not sure that really helped.

 

In a case like a corn flake going down the wrong way, what should I have done? Would the hymlec m. worked? It was only seconds, but it was scary, for him and for me. I was really caught off guard.

[besroma]

I am so glad he is okay.

 

I have no medical experience, but I have read not to hit someone on the back if they are choking because the food can get lodged deeper in the throat.

 

With my littles, I pick them up and hold them face down to help them cough the food out. With an older child, I would try the heimlich maneuver.

[Meriwether]

Dd9 almost choked on a penny when she was almost three. It got caught in her throat sideways. We were in temp housing. Apparently the kitchen counter was lower there or Dd had a growth spurt that weekend. I was in a strange city and didn't even know where the hospital was. I called 911 and kept them on the line until Dd swallowed the penny. Her airway was never completely cut off, but it was a very scary two or three minutes.

[Remudamom]

Yes, we thought we had lost one of ours once. She came in crying, fell over and stopped breathing. Dh pounded her on the back (not the right move) and her lips were turning blue.

 

To tell you the truth I'm not sure what we did. Dh looked at me and screamed "Help me", and then I think he laid her down and I was going to start CPR and all of a sudden she coughed and began breathing again.

 

It was terrifying. Then about a week later she choked on a piece of candy a grandpa type had given her. This time I grabbed her, turned her upside down and it came out. I don't think that's what I was supposed to do either.

 

I didn't let that kid chew gum until she was 16.

 

Learn CPR.

[Momofeat]

Yes. My oldest dd choked on a marshmallow when she was 6 or 7. I did the heimlech, and it popped out--just like it was supposed to! I'm so glad I had 1st aid training.

[Ipsey]

Choking is my horror.

 

I mean, it's the thing I fear for my kids to a weird degree. I don't even let them run with gum in their mouths. My little nearly choked on a cherry pip today. He made the most horrible noise and heaved and up it came. I had no idea!

 

When my oldest was about 2, she got a conversation heart--a large one from somewhere and came waddling out of the bedroom with her mouth agape, drooling and making the most horrible sounds. I realized what was happening. I put her over my knee, so her diaphram was about at my knee and whacked her back several times and out it came.

 

I've taught all of my kids, except the baby, how to perform the heimlich maneuver on others--and I hope others will know how to help them someday if they need it. (I should probably teach them how to do it on themselves). Hmm, something for tomorrow.

[Ipsey]

Yes, we thought we had lost one of ours once. She came in crying, fell over and stopped breathing. Dh pounded her on the back (not the right move) and her lips were turning blue.

 

To tell you the truth I'm not sure what we did. Dh looked at me and screamed "Help me", and then I think he laid her down and I was going to start CPR and all of a sudden she coughed and began breathing again.

 

It was terrifying. Then about a week later she choked on a piece of candy a grandpa type had given her. This time I grabbed her, turned her upside down and it came out. I don't think that's what I was supposed to do either.

 

I didn't let that kid chew gum until she was 16.

 

Learn CPR.

 

*shudders* I don't blame you about the gum. Not for a second. *pats you on back in commiseration* So scary!

[PrincessMommy]

My youngest son chokes easily. It's very scary. The worst one was when we were driving down the road. I only happened to look back at him (don't know why) and saw him choking. Hubby pulled over and we were just hauling him out of the back seat when he finally got up the gummy worm he was choking on. He was about 6-7. I had a hard time sleeping that night with all the "what ifs" going through my mind.

[Walking-Iris]

There was one scary time when my 4 year old was then a young 3 and he was eating a salad and I thought he was doing a good job eating and chewing and then suddenly he just started gagging and couldn't get anything out or say anything. I did the finger swipe to clear out his throat and seriously there was a long line of partially chewed salad greens going down his throat that eventually just starting chocking him. I just finger swiped and that set off his gag reflex and he basically vomited it up. I didn't let him go near lettuce again for some time.

[MamaT]

Yes. I had to do the heimlich on my oldest when he was about 5. We had gone to a nice restaurant with my in-laws, and he was sitting on the other side and the other end of the table from me. My mil was sitting beside him, and just kept saying "are you okay" the whole time, while I was running around the table as fast as I could. I did the heimlich and a piece of chicken flew across the restaurant. It scared me silly.

[justasque]

I've Heimliched twice, one of mine and one other. Fortunately (?) I'd seen someone do it before, when I was a teen, so I knew what to expect, and I've taken CPR. It's very scary. You might have to do it several times until the object comes out. The first kid's lips were blue; he was choking on a piece of apple. The second time it was a kid choking on a piece of hard candy; he couldn't speak. It was very, very scary. I don't let my younger kids eat if I'm not present. They think I'm nuts, of course. But I don't know what would have happened, especially with the second kid, if I wasn't there.

[stripe]

My memory from high school health class is to tip small children upside down. I did that recently and it worked. My husband was very impressed by my immediate reaction. I am constantly surprised by how much I learned in that class.

[swellmomma]

not my kids but years ago I had to do the heimlich on a 2 yr old in my daycare class when she choked on an apple slice at snack time.

 

My mom was a back pounder for choking, but that can actually cause the person to choke more.

 

If you have not taken a first aid/CPR course I suggest taking 1 sooner rather than later. I try to stay on top of my certification since I was 15 yrs old, my 2 big kids take the course this coming weekend. You never know when you will need those life saving skills as you learned today. That $100 and the hours to take it are a small price to pay to save those you love most.

[AnnaM]

I havent read any other replies so sorry if this is a repeat.

 

I took EMT training and this is what we are told: if they are breathing, coughing or gasping don't do anything. Let their bodies natural reflexes try to dislodge it. Otherwise take action. Whatever you do, resist the urge to pat on the back as that can actually lodge it further down.

 

 

I know how scary it is. My daughter choked on a hard candy in a Walgreens to the point where I had to give her the Heimlich. It was the longest 15 seconds of my life getting that candy dislodged.

[ocelotmom]

I choked on a frozen banana when I was 10ish. It somehow popped off the stick and lodged in my throat.

 

I heimliched myself on the edge of the sink. A friend and I were home alone at the time - she was laughing at me because she thought I was just fooling around.

[Merry]

He came in the house crying and gagging and pointing at his throat. A few seconds later, he coughed up a large flat washer. I still shudder to think that the washer had a hole in it for breathing. Otherwise, he might be dead if he had swallowed a solid disk because he was outside and out of earshot and line of vision.

[prairiewindmomma]

Yeah. Scary, scary, scary. We did the Heimlich and a mouth sweep.

[Reflections]

My youngest choked on a piece of apple when he was about 18 months. I've blocked alot of the little details - but I remember swooping him out of his seat and placing him on my knee, and then holding him upside down and sweeping his mouth and even trying a gently heimlich. NOTHING was working - scariest feeling in the world - and then he was able to breathe but he wouldn't close his mouth and would just drool - wouldn't gag, wouldn't nurse, wouldn't swallow water. I'll called the doctor, went in and they tried it all over again. And while he was all sorts of upset, he would just sit there and sorta moan. Finally they thought that we needed to go to the hospital and be scoped because the apple was likely stuck and it needed to come out. He fell asleep on the way and swallowed it. The idea was that he had - in sleep - been able to relax and the bit was able to travel down. I still tear up at the memory.

[TranquilMind]

Remudamom: Yes, we thought we had lost one of ours once. She came in crying, fell over and stopped breathing. Dh pounded her on the back (not the right move) and her lips were turning blue.

 

To tell you the truth I'm not sure what we did. Dh looked at me and screamed "Help me", and then I think he laid her down and I was going to start CPR and all of a sudden she coughed and began breathing again.

 

It was terrifying. Then about a week later she choked on a piece of candy a grandpa type had given her. This time I grabbed her, turned her upside down and it came out. I don't think that's what I was supposed to do either.

 

I didn't let that kid chew gum until she was 16.

 

Scary story! I can relate because I STILL don't let my kid have hard candies. And I used to not give them Cheerios, even as toddlers.

 

Reason: I choked and nearly died at the age of FIFTEEN when eating dry Cheerios. I've choked a couple of other times pretty badly too. It is very scary.

 

My family never does this, but perhaps they ought to learn CPR.

 

 

Learn CPR.

[Desert Rat]

Mine was about 2. I was walking through the house while doing laundry. I look in the living room and he had found a marble, and was choking on it. I yanked him upside down and whacked him on the back. It came flying out (which is how I knew it was a marble). I was terrified and remained so for days.

[Thea]

Yes--my ds was about 4. I was unloading the dishwasher while he was eating chicken nuggets--I look up and he's silent, staring at me with wild, scared eyes.

 

I remember calmly dropping the plate I was holding, rushing to his side, flipping him down between my knees and hitting his back--when that didn't work, I did the Heimlich on him and the nugget flew out of his mouth, across the room. He started crying hysterically. And then I completely fell apart for three days. So, so scary. I will never forget the look on his face.

[mazakaal]

My 2nd ds was around 1yo when he started choking, I can't remember on what. I had to do the baby-Heimlich, turning him upside down and whacking his back. I was very glad that I had taken a baby first aid course when I was pregnant with my first. Otherwise I probably wouldn't have known what to do. Very scary. Glad your ds is all right.

[BMW]

One of my sons LOVES food. He doesn't always CHEW it, though. For about two years I had to do the heimlich maneuver about 3 times a year, each time afterwards giving him a talk about slowing down, enjoying each bite and chewing! The good thing was, since that happened, he was at school and noticed a boy with a cube of cheese stuck in his throat, choking and no one noticing and/or knowing what to do. He did the heimlich maneuver and all was fixes and they announced what he did on the school sound system and awarded him gifts as a hero....

 

Anyway... I always go for the heimlich... even though I don't know how to spell it. And, I will be taking CPR soon...

[funschooler5]

DD6 was eating a chicken leg when she was 3, and a huge piece of meat lodged in her throat. She couldn't breathe at all, and was turning purple. DH ran over and pulled it out of her throat with his fingers...I know you aren't supposed to do that, but he could see it and he got it right out.

 

I was just paralyzed. I know what you're supposed to do in these situations, but I always seem to freeze when something like this happens. I am SO thankful DH was there to save her. I'm hoping I just froze because I knew DH would take care of it?? :confused: Knock on wood....

[chepyl]

I had to do the infant heimlich (sp) on DD about 3 times!! For an infant (def under a year, maybe up to 3, depending on theory size), you turn them over your knee with your knee pressed into their stomach and up towards their rib case amd give a few hard hits in the mid back. That should force what ever is lodged in the windpipe to move.

 

For older children amd adults,you stand behind them, wrap your arms around their waist and make a double fist in the same area of the abdomen, pull toward to and up swiftly.

 

You cant be gentle. You have to create force from their lungs to push the item out.

 

Do not do this if their are coughing or speaking at all. If they are coughing, let them do that. And definitely DON'T just smack them on the back. Call 911 and they will talk you through it, but that takes extra time that you do not want to waste.

 

What you really need, and I believe every parent should, is to take an emergency first APs and cpr class. I have had lifegauard and babysitter certification training as a teen. I was very comfortable with what to do when dd needed help. I did not hesotate due to my training. There are sites with videos to demonstrate, but training is best. Many hospitals offer cheap classes.

[Melissa in Australia]

My dd at 34 months stopped breathing while I was breastfeeding her, She was chocking and then went all limp. I started yelling that she isn't breathing. My DH took her and held her sort of on her side upside down and gently shook her. She started breathing. it was in the middle of the night.I sat up with her for the rest of the night. We took her to the doctor first thing in the morning. I remember the doctor asked me how long was she not breathing for, and I replied it seemed like hours but I think it was less than a minute. and it turned out she had tonsillitis and had chocked on phlegm.

[SKL]

One day when my kids were around 1.5, I did something stupid. I made them some sort of nacho treat with broken tortilla chips and melted cheese, etc. One of my kids had some sort of issue for which I took her to the bathroom. While I was in there I heard the other one from her high chair, making a quiet but strange noise. Thank goodness for Mommy instinct! I went in there and swept the back of her mouth. Thankfully, I was able to pull the offending nacho chip out. My kids have not had another nacho chip since! (I know that is not necessary, but I can't bring myself to serve them.)

 

I had baby/child CPR training, but I can never remember which technique is right for which age. If you do X to a toddler you'll save him, but the same maneuver will kill a preschooler. Or something. Obviously I need more training.

 

One thing that I do remember is that if they can breathe at all, you don't do the Heimlich maneuver. You encourage them to try to cough it out.

[chickenpatty]

One of my boys nearly choked on a sweet potato biscuit at Thanksgiving. He was a baby then, and was sitting in a high chair. Dh was breaking little pieces off the biscuit and putting them in front of ds and didn't realize he left the big part of the biscuit on the tray as well and ds got it.

 

Ds began drooling & turning purple. I'm not sure what we did that worked. We were turning him over, holding his head downward, hitting him on the back, and finger-swiping his throat. It eventually came out, but left us very shaken.

[The Girls' Mom]

My oldest dd choked on a peach when she was around 18 months. She was in her high chair, eating canned sliced peaches. She was gagging and turning purple..it was awful. I rushed over and was trying to snatch her out of the high chair, but her legs kept getting caught on the tray. All of my flailing around trying to get her out dislodged the peach. The poor thing had bruises all across her upper thighs from my efforts to remove her from the stupid high chair!

[Mom-ninja.]

Learn to recogonize when someone is choking. They don't always make the universal sign for choking when they are in a panic. My sister (about 24 or so) started choking during a huge family dinner at a restuarant. When she starting choking no one knew because she was just flapping her hands at her face with her head bend down. I though she was having a laughing fit. Then all of a sudden she stood up and threw herself down on the back of her chair and a piece of food flew out. We all stared at her astonished. She was so angry that no one helped her. I'm glad she had enough presence of mind to help herself. It's odd that she thought to do that but couldn't make it known to others that she needed help.

 

So, learn the signs of choking. Coughing is not one of them. If someone is coughing they are getting air. If they are *silent* that is when they are choking.

[Parrothead]

I havent read any other replies so sorry if this is a repeat.

 

I took EMT training and this is what we are told: if they are breathing, coughing or gasping don't do anything. Let their bodies natural reflexes try to dislodge it. Otherwise take action. Whatever you do, resist the urge to pat on the back as that can actually lodge it further down. People in distress from choking will not make any sounds.

 

 

I know how scary it is. My daughter choked on a hard candy in a Walgreens to the point where I had to give her the Heimlich. It was the longest 15 seconds of my life getting that candy dislodged.

:iagree:We were told the same thing in first responder training. If the person has an airway do not interfere. A person in choking distress will not make any sound. And no back pounding. That can cause more damage than help.

 

Everyone should know how to do the Heimlich (and CPR). There are ways to do it for infants, other people and for one's self. Consider signing up for a class at your local fire department or community center.

 

On a side note my mother and I got into a huge argument in the middle of a restaurant because dh and I refused to interfere with dd (2ish at the time) choking on food.

Edited June 19, 2012 by Parrothead

[teamturner]

I did the hiemlich on one of my ds once while eating at a Taco Bell when he was 11. He took too big of a bite and was choking. I ran behind him and did the hiemlich and it all came right out. We laughed about it later because I should have stopped at one point and didn't so I kind of hurt his tummy from all the force and repetition.

[hsbaby]

I am so paranoid about choking! My kids still don't get hard candy....and I still cut their hot dogs down the middle. I've done the heimlich twice on my oldest....once was a gummy vitamin and once was asparagus. So scary. I'm also super paranoid about water bottle caps. A little girl choked and died while taking one off with her teeth. Her dad was driving her to school and saw her slumped over in the back seat while in the car rider line at our local elementary school. Now I take the caps off before I let my kids have the bottle. It was just such a sad situation:(

[Joker]

When oldest dd was 18 months old she somehow got hold of a dum-dum lollipop.:glare: We still don't know where it came from. She was in her room playing and walked into the living room with a stick and no sucker. She just stared at us calmly, but we could tell she wasn't breathing. Dh flipped her upside down and whacked her on the back and it flew out whole with part of the stick attached. It was years before I was comfortable with suckers again.

[Trish]

When my kids were still in school, my second grader at the time choked on a grape at lunch. I don't know if he did the "universal sign of choking" but he did get the attention of one of his classmates, who promptly performed the Second Grader Version of the Heimlech. Successfully! The lunchroom lady eventually came rushing over, but at that point it was only to pick up the grape. Praise God, and that alert little boy.

[BatmansWife]

We were in a motel room and my mom gave my oldest (maybe age 5 at the time) a life saver. It slipped down her throat and she was choking. We ran her in the bathroom and she was leaning over the toilet trying to cough it up. I remember I did panic and said to my mom, "What do we do!?!?!?" It was probably only a few seconds and she coughed it up. Thank goodness there was a hole in the candy. It is a very scary thing when your child is choking! Ever since I've never wanted my kids to have hard candies. I do let this child have some now though. :001_smile:

[2boysmom]

Wow! I didn't realize this is so common! Thank you all for your replies.

I will be signing up for a CPR/First Aid/Choking class next month. You guys encouraged me to get my act together. Thank you! And praise God that all our kids are okay!:grouphug:

[sbgrace]

If someone is coughing or struggling but still getting air you don't interfere. If breathing has stopped you do heimlech at that age. You don't back pound but I know, from experience in other emergencies, that we react in these situations and I'm glad he's ok!

 

My son did have a choking incident. He was a toddler and picked up a leaf someone had tracked inside. He was not breathing, face was purple, lips were going blue when I found him. I grabbed him up panicked and the leaf flew out or maybe it came out a bit and I pulled it the rest of the way. That part is fuzzy. I don't know what I would have done on instinct had it not come out. Maybe the wrong thing. I won't ever forget finding him like that.

Edited June 19, 2012 by sbgrace

[Lolly]

DD#1 choked at my mom's house. I don't remember what on, she was just in the kitchen. Mama grabbed her by the ankles and shook her upside down a couple of times. Whatever it was popped right out. Odd that I can't remember what it was.:001_huh: