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Choking - infant under 1 year - Overview

Definition of Choking - infant under 1 year:

Choking is when someone can't breathe because food, a toy, or other object is blocking the airway (throat or windpipe).

This article discusses choking in infants.

Considerations:

Choking may result from a complete or partial blockage of the airway.

A complete blockage is a medical emergency.
A partial blockage can quickly become life threatening if the person cannot breathe enough.

Permanent brain damage can occur in as little as 4 minutes when a person does not get enough air. Rapid first aid for choking can save a life.

Causes:

Choking in infants is usually caused by breathing in a small object that the baby has placed in their mouth, such as a button, coin, balloon, toy part, or watch battery.

Choking first aid - infant under 1 year - series

Reviewed last on: 7/16/2011
Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, Clinic. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Manno M. Pediatric respiratory emergencies: Upper airway obstruction and infections. In: Marx J, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2009: chap 166.

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