If your child were choking, would you know what to do? | Families

A friend of mine recently reminded me how quickly and easily it is for children under the age of 4 to choke. She had quite the scare the other night with her 3 year old when he began choking on a piece of hard candy. He panicked. She panicked. They called 911 and made a late night trip to the ER.

Luckily, after some forceful coughing, he swallowed the candy and was back to his energetic, playful self once he recovered from the emotional trauma.

Nothing is as fear provoking or stressful as watching your young child in distress, choking, struggling to breathe, and wondering if you’re doing the right thing. This post, by Dr. Natasha Burgert, comes quickly to mind as she eloquently describes the seconds of sheer panic when she witnesses her son choking on a piece of food. Dr.Moms are not immune to freaking out either. When it comes to our own children, we are in full mom mode.

I’ve had a few close calls myself, happening upon my toddler about to put staples (of all things!) in his mouth. Yikes!

So, what should you do if your child is choking?

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