CPR and Choking Emergencies

For many child care professionals, having a child that is choking or having to administer CPR is a big fear, but also something that they should be prepared for at all times. In this blog post, I will describe two scenarios: one where a child is choking on food and one where a child needs CPR. I will then outline the emergency procedures that the teacher must take to save the child and discuss the importance of planning ahead of time for such events.

Scenario #1: It is snack time in your child care facility. All of the students range from ages 6 months to 2 years old. They are all either sitting in high chairs or around a small table. All of a sudden, you see a one year old baby choking on one of his snacks. The NAEYC recommends several steps to responding to emergency situations. For a situation like the one occurring in your child care facility, it is best to “act immediately and remain calm” and if another teacher is present, they should be keeping the other children calm (Robertson, 2013, p. 179). You should have someone call emergency medical personnel while you grab the baby out of the high chair and perform the Heimlich maneuver. You do this by standing behind the child and making a fist just below their chest. With your other hand, you grab the fist and push upward to until the object they are choking on is dislodged.  The child’s parents should also be contacted, and a teacher should remain with the child until the paramedics and parents arrive. (Bringham and Women’s Hospital)

Scenario #2: It is the middle of the afternoon and all of your students are spread around the room playing. You look over to the playhouse and one of your two year old girls laying down. Suspecting that something is not right, you walk over to and find her unconscious. It is important to remain calm, but also quickly try to help her. You should call for help, and have someone watch the other children. Another person should call the paramedics and then the child’s parents. . You should then “assess the child with a head-to-toe check” (Robertson, 2013, p. 179). After tapping her shoulder and loudly calling her name, you determine that she is unresponsive. You should then place the child on a firm surface and prepare to administer CPR.  

There are several things adults can do to prevent and be better prepared for in the cases of the types of scenarios I described as well as many other kinds of similar emergencies. Most importantly, adults working with children should be trained in first aid and CPR. Teachers should also know the steps of how to respond to these types of emergencies and know when to call for help. Having the knowledge of what to do in scenarios like these and being trained in first aid and CPR cannot only resolve emergencies but it could possibly save lives. It can also teach them to take the proper precautions to prevent things like this from happening.

Aside from having staff properly trained, child care facilities should have their own set of procedures of how to act in these types of emergencies. There should be a written procedure plan posted as a reminder for staff to remember. They should also have an emergency contact list for each child and a first aid kit that are easy to access in any emergency situation. Overall, anything that could help adults be better prepared for emergency situations involving children could prevent further harm to the child and even save their lives.

  References:         

Brigham and Women’s Hospital. (2012) How to Help a Choking Child.  Retrieved from

            http://healthlibrary.brighamandwomens.org/RelatedItems/1,197

Robertson, C. (2013). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (5th ed.). Belmont, CA:

            Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.