2026-05-21 · The CPR Doc
What Every Parent Should Know About Infant Choking
Infants explore the world with their mouths, which means choking is one of the most common emergencies parents face. The response is different from what you would do for an adult, and it is worth five minutes of your time to learn.
Back blows and chest thrusts
For a choking infant who cannot cry or cough: support the head and neck, lay the baby face-down along your forearm, and give five firm back blows between the shoulder blades. Flip the baby over and give five chest thrusts with two fingers in the center of the chest. Repeat until the object comes out or the baby becomes unresponsive.
Never do these
No blind finger sweeps, which can push the object deeper. No abdominal thrusts on infants under one year.
We practice this on infant manikins in every Babysitter Prep and Family CPR class, because your hands need to know the motion before your brain has time to panic.