An unconscious, choking toddler must receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, to clear his airway, preventing cardiac arrest. A toddler is generally considered to be less than a year old, but must also be small enough that you can sandwich him between your forearms if you had to clear his airway while he was conscious. You should perform CPR on a choking toddler only if the toddler is unconscious; he will not be crying or flailing his limbs.
Step 1
Check the scene to ensure it is safe for you to enter so you do not become a victim yourself.
Step 2
Ask the parent or guardian of the toddler permission to help before you begin your care.
Step 3
Tickle the toddler's foot or chest to check for responsiveness, shouting "Are you okay?"
Step 4
Send someone immediately to call 911 advising of an unconscious toddler; if you are by yourself, give 2 minutes of care and then call 911. Ensure the toddler is on his back on the floor.
Step 5
Place the pinky side of the hand closest to the toddler's head along her eyebrows; place one or two of your fingers underneath the bony point of the chin.
Step 6
Open the toddler's airway by tilting the head back and lifting the chin so the chin is nearly 90 degrees to the floor; if you see an object, do a finger sweep from the far side of his mouth toward you to remove it. Look toward the toddler's chest and place your ear close to his mouth to check for breathing for 10 seconds; if the chest does not rise and you cannot feel any air, give two small breaths by opening your mouth wide to cover the toddler's nose and mouth.
Step 7
Exhale gently with just enough air to make the toddler's chest gently rise, peeking toward his chest as you give the first gentle breath. Lift your mouth about an inch away from the toddler's face to inhale for yourself then give another gentle breath; keep his head in the tilted position until you have completed both breaths.
Step 8
Lower the toddler's head down to his chest, and then re-tilt it a little further back if your two breaths do not go in. Give two more small breaths; if these breaths do not go in, begin CPR or chest compressions.
Step 9
Use the hand closest to the toddler's chest. Position your index finger along the imaginary nipple line on the toddler's chest as a marker for your middle and index finger; your three fingers should be touching each other side by side. Press your middle and index fingers into the chest so they are perpendicular to the chest.
Step 10
Compress the toddler's chest 30 times, straight up and down about a 1/2 inch to 1 inch; it should take about 18 seconds to do 30 compressions, or a compression rate of 100 compressions per minute. Compress the chest using just enough force to press the chest down about only between a 1/2 inch to 1 inch.
Step 11
Look inside the toddler's mouth for an object. Do a finger sweep from the far side of his mouth toward you only if you see an object; tilt her head back and give two breaths if you do not see an object.
Step 12
Perform 30 chest compressions. Look inside her mouth and do a finger sweep if you see an object. Pull the object out then tilt her head back and give two breaths; if your two breaths go in, check for the toddler's pulse on the inside of her upper arm closest to you.
Step 13
Continue giving 30 compressions and two breaths if you do not find the pulse. Give care until another person trained in CPR takes over, if you are too tired to continue, the scene becomes unsafe or emergency personnel arrive and take over.
Tips and Warnings
- Take a CPR refresher course every year to keep up with your skills.
- You should be certified in infant and child CPR before you help toddlers other than your own, reducing your risk of being liable for damages.
References
- "First Aid/CPR/AED for Schools and the Community"; American Red Cross; 2006
- "Anatomy & Physiology"; Gary Thibodeau, Ph.D., and Kevin Patton, Ph.D.; 2007
