What should you do when a baby is choking?
Applies to age: 0–12 months
In short
Choking is a situation in which you call the ambulance service, at 999 (the ambulance number in Poland) or 112 (the emergency number in Poland). Stay with the person until the team arrives; the medical dispatcher will tell you how to give first aid.
What is normal
Some claims: international norm
- While you call the ambulance service, give the person first aid and stay with them until the emergency medical team (ZRM) arrives; the medical dispatcher will tell you how to give it.
Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
powinieneś udzielić pierwszej pomocy poszkodowanemu i zostać przy nim do czasu przyjazdu zespołu ratownictwa medycznego – dyspozytor medyczny powie Ci, jak udzielić pierwszej pomocy
Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-11-04 · license [1]
- When a child is coughing loudly, encourage them to keep coughing to bring up what they are choking on, and do not walk away from them.
Source: NHS · international norm – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
If your child's coughing loudly, encourage them to carry on coughing to bring up what they're choking on and don't leave them.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-11-04 · license [2]
What you can do now
All claims: international norm
- For a baby under 1 year old who is conscious and is not coughing or is coughing ineffectively, sit down and lay the baby face down along your thigh or forearm, supporting the head and neck with your hand.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
sit down and lay your baby face down along your thigh or forearm, supporting their head and neck with your hand
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-11-04 · license [2]
If your child's still conscious, but they're either not coughing or their coughing isn't effective, use back blows or chest thrusts (babies under 1 year), or back blows or abdominal thrusts (children over 1 year).
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-11-04 · license [2]
- For a conscious baby under 1 year old who is not coughing or is coughing ineffectively, give up to 5 firm blows with the heel of your hand to the middle of the back between the shoulder blades, and after each blow check whether the object has come out.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
give up to 5 sharp back blows with the heel of your hand in the middle of your baby's back between their shoulder blades
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-11-04 · license [2]
If your child's still conscious, but they're either not coughing or their coughing isn't effective, use back blows or chest thrusts (babies under 1 year), or back blows or abdominal thrusts (children over 1 year).
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-11-04 · license [2]
check if the object has come out between each blow (you may not need to use all 5 blows)
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-11-04 · license [2]
- If the back blows do not clear the choking and the child is conscious, chest thrusts are given to a baby under 1 year old.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
If back blows don't relieve the choking and your baby or child is still conscious, give chest thrusts to babies under 1 year or abdominal thrusts to children over 1 year.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-11-04 · license [2]
- Chest thrusts for a baby are up to 5 firm thrusts.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
give up to 5 sharp chest thrusts (pushes)
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-11-04 · license [2]
- Chest thrusts for a baby are given with two fingers placed in the middle of the chest, just below the nipple line.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
place 2 fingers in the middle of their chest just below the nipple line
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-11-04 · license [2]
When to worry
Some claims: international norm
- Choking needs immediate medical help, because it is listed among the situations in which the ambulance service is called.
Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
zadławienie się
Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-11-04 · license [1]
- Even if the object has come out, medical help is needed.
Source: NHS · international norm – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
Even if the object has come out, get medical help.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-11-04 · license [2]
- Coughing is ineffective when the child coughs silently or cannot breathe in normally; in that case, shout for help immediately and check whether the child is conscious.
Source: NHS · international norm – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
If your child's coughing isn't effective (it's silent or they can't breathe in properly), shout for help immediately and decide whether they're still conscious.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-11-04 · license [2]
ER / 112 (Poland)
- When someone is choking, call the emergency number 999 or 112.
Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
zadławienie się
Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-11-04 · license [1]
Polish original
Dzwoń na 999 lub 112.
Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-11-04 · license [1]
international norm “International norm” next to a section heading means its claims come from a non-Polish source, because no Polish source in our registry covers this topic. When this applies to only some of the claims, the foreign ones carry the same label next to their source.
Sources
- Portal Pacjenta (pacjent.gov.pl)License: CC BY 3.0 PL. Source: Portal Pacjenta (pacjent.gov.pl). Content summarized and translated by the editors; changed relative to the original.
- NHS (nhs.uk, Anglia)License: Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: NHS (nhs.uk, Anglia). Content summarized and translated by the editors; changed relative to the original. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The summary is ours and is not attributed to the NHS.