Choking First Aid for Infants

May 3, 2022

last updated Jan 1, 2026 to include new choking first aid guidelines– Choking is a common cause of injury and death in children. While this sounds scary, the good news is that choking is usually preventable. By learning choking first aid for infants and how to reduce risks, parents and caregivers can respond quickly and confidently if it ever happens. You can also learn more first aid skills before baby arrives here.

Choking First Aid for Infants: How to Recognize Choking

Recognizing choking is critical: if your baby is coughing or gagging, this is the body’s natural reflex to clear a partial blockage, and you should encourage them to keep coughing as long as they are making noise and breathing.

However, if your baby is unable to breathe, cry, or make any sound or if their skin begins turning blue, it may indicate a total airway obstruction. This is a medical emergency requiring immediate action. Be prepared to help baby by reviewing the steps below to understand choking first aid and call 911.

NEW GUIDELINES via the AHA and RED CROSS AS OF OCT 2026: What To Do If a Baby Is Choking

1. Recognize a severe airway block when an infant

• Cannot breathe or make a sound
• Has a cough that has no sound

2. Remove the object (support the infant’s head):

• Give up to 5 back slaps: hold the infant facedown and give slaps with the heel of your hand between the shoulder blades.
• If the object does not come out, turn the infant onto their back.
• Give up to 5 chest thrusts: use 2 fingers to push on the center of their chest.
• Repeat giving up to 5 back slaps and up to 5 chest thrusts until the infant can breathe, cough, or cry or until they become unresponsive.

3. If the infant becomes unresponsive

• Shout for help.
• Use a cell phone; put it on speaker mode while you begin CPR.
• Give sets of 30 compressions and 2 breaths, checking the mouth for objects after each set of compressions (remove object if seen).
• If you are alone and do not have a cell phone, after 5 sets of 30 compressions and 2 breaths, take the infant with you to phone 9- 1- 1 and get an AED. Use the AED as soon as it is available. Continue CPR, checking the mouth for objects after each set of compressions.
• Continue CPR and looking in the mouth after each set of compressions until
  • The infant moves, cries, speaks, blinks, or otherwise reacts
  • Someone with more advanced training arrives and takes over

Preventing Choking in Infants

Parents and caregivers can help reduce choking risk by making safe choices every day:

1. Bottle feeding safely
   • Always hold your baby during feeds—never prop a bottle with pillows or devices.
   • Make sure the nipple flow is correct for your baby’s age; too fast a flow can overwhelm them.
2. Choosing developmentally appropriate foods
   • Wait until your baby shows signs of readiness (usually around 6 months) before introducing solids.
   • Offer smooth, soft foods when starting solids. Avoid round, hard, or sticky foods such as hot dogs, grapes, popcorn, raw vegetables, nuts, and chunks of cheese until at least age 4.
   • Cut food into very small pieces—no larger than half an inch—once finger foods are appropriate.
3. Creating a safe environment
   • Keep coins, buttons, small toys, batteries, and other objects that could fit through a toilet paper roll out of reach.
   • Get down on the floor at baby’s level to spot choking hazards you might otherwise miss.

Key Takeaway

Choking is a leading cause of injury in infants, but it doesn’t have to be. Parents and caregivers can prevent most choking incidents by supervising feeds, offering age-appropriate foods, keeping small objects out of reach, and knowing what to do in an emergency. Learning Infant CPR and First Aid before your baby arrives is one of the best ways to keep your child safe.

Read our Essential Guide: How To Prepare Your Home for a Newborn for more safety guidelines and tips.