Knowing what to do when a baby or child is choking matters more than almost any other piece of parenting knowledge. The NHS and St John Ambulance both recommend that every parent learns the basic technique before weaning starts.
Gagging vs choking
Gagging is noisy - your baby will cough, splutter, and may go red. It's the body's safety mechanism and is very common during weaning. Choking is quiet. If your baby cannot cough, cry, or breathe, they are choking and you need to act immediately.
Baby under one year - back blows and chest thrusts
Lay your baby face down along your thigh, supporting their head. Give up to five sharp back blows between their shoulder blades using the heel of your hand. Check after each blow. If not cleared, turn baby face up and give up to five chest thrusts - two fingers in the centre of the chest, sharp pushes inward and upward. Alternate until the object comes out or help arrives.
Child over one year - back blows and abdominal thrusts
Lean the child forward. Give up to five back blows between the shoulder blades. If not cleared, stand behind the child, place your fist between belly button and ribcage, pull sharply inward and upward up to five times. Alternate between back blows and abdominal thrusts. Do not use abdominal thrusts on babies under one.
Common choking hazards
Grapes (always cut lengthways), cherry tomatoes, sausages, popcorn, whole nuts, hard sweets, and small batteries. During weaning, food should be soft finger-sized sticks, and your baby should always be sitting upright and supervised.