We often encounter news about deaths due to food getting stuck in the throats of young children. To prevent such incidents, various tools are available in stores today. However, when an incident occurs, especially mothers cannot react correctly due to anxiety and fear.
How should first aid be administered in such cases? What should a parent do in this situation when alone with their child at home? In general, do special tools sold in stores really help remove foreign objects stuck in the esophagus?
Pediatrician Shalala Polukhova answered the questions of AzEdu.az.
The pediatrician noted that one of the biggest mistakes made is hitting the back:
"I think that not only parents but everyone should know about this issue. Because this is not only a situation that can happen to a parent at home. It is also a situation that can occur in various public places such as cafes, restaurants, etc.
How should first aid be? First of all, let me note that this situation can appear in two ways: the first is partial obstruction, and the second is complete obstruction.
What is partial obstruction? In this case, a piece of food eaten by the child falls into the respiratory tract, but the child tries to remove that piece of food (foreign p) from the respiratory tract by coughing. Coughing is the most important reflex here that helps the p remove foreign objects from the respiratory tract. One of the biggest mistakes parents make in this situation is that they immediately panic, scream in fear. In this case, they further alarm the child and usually hit the child's back. This is absolutely unacceptable".
No matter how difficult it is, we must remain calm and allow the child to cough up the food mass from the respiratory tract:
"At this time, we can turn a partial obstruction into a complete obstruction. Because during partial obstruction, even if the food mass falls into the respiratory tract, the child can still breathe to some extent and tries to cough it out.
In this case, actions such as hitting the child's back, shaking them, or intervening in their mouth can never replace that strong cough. Therefore, when faced with such a situation, first of all, instead of panicking and scaring the child further, we should try to maintain our calm. No matter how difficult it is, we must remain calm and allow the child to cough up the food mass from the respiratory tract.
The second form is complete obstruction. This is a life-threatening situation, and it is important for the parent or the person with the child to intervene immediately. In complete obstruction, the food item completely blocks the respiratory tract, and in this case, the child cannot breathe, their color turns blue, and choking begins. In such a situation, seconds are vital. It is necessary to help the child with correct maneuvers without thinking.
Parents should try not to panic at this moment. No matter how difficult it is, staying calm is very important. I always explain this topic to my patients during the period of starting complementary feeding, because this issue is truly vital. In this case, we turn the child face down (on their stomach). Let me note that the approach is slightly different for children under one year old and over one year old".
When applied correctly, these steps can save lives:
"In children under one year old, while keeping the child face down, strike 5 times between the two shoulder blades with the heel of the hand from front to back. Then the child is turned on their back and the oral cavity is checked to see if the foreign p has come out.
If it has not come out, we apply pressure 5 times with two fingers to the lower part of the breastbone. Then we turn the child again in the same way and strike the back area 5 times, and repeat this process.
It is very important to call an ambulance in parallel while performing these interventions. In many cases, as a result of these correctly performed maneuvers, the food item comes out of the respiratory tract, falls into the mouth, and we carefully remove it. After this, the child starts breathing again and their condition stabilizes.
When applied correctly, these steps can save lives. Let me note that these situations can occur not only in children under one year old but also in children over one year old, and in this case, certain differences in approach should be taken into account. In the same way, we turn the child face down again and strike 5 times between the two shoulder blades with the palm of our hand from front to back. If the food item does not come out of the respiratory tract and fall into the mouth, then in children over one year old, we can already use the Heimlich maneuver.
We press with pressure on the area between the navel and the breastbone in the abdominal area. The goal is to create upward pressure so that the pressure in the chest increases and, under the influence of this pressure, the food mass is expelled from the respiratory tract".
I would recommend using classic first aid methods as the most correct approach:
"During this maneuver, we place a fist on the area between the navel and the breastbone and press with pressure inwards and upwards. This movement is repeated several times. In this case, first aid should be administered in this way. When a parent is alone at home, the most important, critical point is not to lose self-control. At the same time, they should call 103 and administer first aid in parallel.
One of the biggest mistakes parents make, as I said, is screaming, making noise, and distracting the child by alarming them further. However, in cases of partial obstruction, the child can often cope with the situation by coughing themselves.
However, if complete obstruction occurs, or even during partial obstruction, actions such as turning the child upside down and shaking them, or giving them water to drink, are among the biggest and most unacceptable mistakes. These must be absolutely avoided".
Special tools sold in stores are thought to be effective in some cases, but unfortunately, these tools have not yet been included in standard medical protocols:
"That is, there is not enough scientific evidence and extensive research regarding the effectiveness of these devices. Moreover, additional risks may arise during incorrect use. Considering that even seconds are vital in such cases, wrong steps can further aggravate the situation.
For this reason, as a doctor, I would recommend using classic first aid methods as the most correct approach. Parents should learn these maneuvers, watch videos, and attend first aid courses if possible. This will educate them and help them intervene more correctly and timely in possible risky situations. Thus, it will be possible to prevent serious complications and irreversible aggravations.
If the child has already lost consciousness, in this case, it is necessary to start heart massage until the ambulance arrives. This is already a separate topic that requires a broader and deeper explanation.
I hope that no parent will encounter such a situation and experience such a tense, difficult experience. But even if such a situation occurs, it is possible to control the situation and save the child by knowing first aid and taking the right steps".
