Dashcam video shows a police officer in Sterling Heights, Michigan, rescue a three-week-old baby who was not breathing.
Officer Cameron Maciejewski responded about 10:45 p.m. Thursday July 9, 2020 at a family’s home in the block of 36000 Waltham Drive to a report of an infant choking. The police officer arrived to find a panicked mother holding her baby girl, who was blinking, but not breathing due to an obstructed airway.
The Sterling Heights police officer urged the panicked family members on the street and front lawn to remain calm as he performed the recommended 5 facedown back thrusts (or back blows between the shoulder blades) as the first step for first aid for an obstructed airway involving an infant under one year-old. The thrusts succeed as the police officer observed the infant crying with air exchange.
The baby was transferred to an ambulance, and transported by Sterling Heights Fire Department paramedics to a nearby hospital for evaluation.
Choking first aid – infant under 1 year
PART 1
The danger signs of true choking are:
Inability to cry or make much sound
Weak, ineffective coughing
Soft or high-pitched sounds while inhaling
Difficulty breathing – ribs and chest retract
Bluish skin color
Loss of consciousness if blockage is not cleared
FIRST AID
1. DO NOT perform these steps if the infant is coughing forcefully or has a strong cry, either of which can dislodge the object on its own.
2. Lay the infant face down, along your forearm. Use your thigh or lap for support. Hold the infant’s chest in your hand and support the infant’s jaw with your fingers. Point the infant’s head at a downward angle, lower than the body.
3. Give up to 5 quick, forceful blows between the infant’s shoulder blades. Use the heel of your free hand.
PART 2 (If Obstruction is Not Dislodged)
Overview
IF OBJECT ISN’T FREE AFTER 5 BLOWS
1. Turn the infant face up. Use your thigh or lap for support. Support the head.
2. Place 2 fingers on the middle of his breastbone just below the nipples.
3. Give up to 5 quick thrusts down, compressing the chest 1/3 to 1/2 the depth of the chest.
4. Continue this series of 5 back blows and 5 chest thrusts until the object is dislodged or the infant loses consciousness.
PART 3 (If Obstruction is Not Dislodged)
IF THE INFANT LOSES CONSCIOUSNESS
If the child becomes unresponsive, stops breathing, or turns blue:
Shout for help.
Give infant CPR. Call 911 after one minute of CPR.
Try to remove an object blocking the airway ONLY if you can see it.
DO NOT:
DO NOT interfere if the infant is coughing forcefully, has a strong cry, or is breathing adequately. However, be ready to act if the symptoms worsen.
DO NOT try to grasp and pull out the object if the infant is conscious.
DO NOT perform these steps if the infant stops breathing for other reasons, such as asthma, infection, swelling, or a blow to the head.
FOR LATES UPDATES TO OBSTRUCTIVE AIRWAY TECHNIQUES, SEE U.S. National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus Choking first aid – infant under 1 year
^^ MOBILE? USE VOICE MIC ^^
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