Care for Foreign-body Airway Obstruction for Conscious Infant

1. Lay the infant face down along your arm with the head lower than the body.
 Support the infant in a head downward, prone position, to enable gravity to assist removal of the foreign body.
 A seated or kneeling rescuer should be able to support the infant safely across his or her lap.
 Support the infant’s head by placing the thumb of one hand at the angle of the lower jaw, and one or two fingers from the
same hand at the same point on the other side of the jaw. Do not compress the soft tissues under the chin.
2. Give up to five sharp blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your other hand.
 Check to see if each back blow has relieved the airway obstruction.
 The aim is to relieve the obstruction with a blow/slap, not to necessarily give all five.
3. If five back blows fail to relieve the airway obstruction, give up to five chest thrusts as follows:
 Turn the infant into a head downward, supine position.
 This is achieved safely by placing the free arm along the infant’s back and encircling the back part of the head with the hand.
 Support the infant along your arm, which is placed down (or across) your thigh.
4. Find your landmarks, two fingers below the nipple line.
 Give chest thrusts (compress approximately 1½ of the depth of the chest). These are similar to chest compressions but sharper and delivered at a slower rate.
 Repeat up to five times.
 If the obstruction is still not relieved, continue alternating five back blows with five chest thrusts.
5. If the victim becomes unconscious:
 Support the victim, while carefully lowering him or her to the ground.
 If advance medical help has not arrived or been called, immediately call for local emergency number.