Babies under six months old often choke on curdled milk or mucus during regurgitation. But sometimes they may put small solid objects in their mouth, which can block their airways. This is extremely dangerous!
If the baby is choking on liquid or mucus, it will usually pass. If they can cry, scream, cough, and most importantly, breathe, then there is no need to pat them on the back or do anything else. Normal reflexes will allow them to clear their airways [1].
Intervention will be necessary if you see that the baby is suffocating.
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Look into the baby's mouth by holding their chin. If you can clearly see the stuck object and can safely remove it with your fingertips (for example, if they put their pacifier entirely into their mouth), do so. But do not put your fingers in the baby's mouth if you cannot see the object or if it is difficult to grasp, because you risk pushing it further down. Move on to step 2.
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Place the baby facedown on your thigh so that their head is lower than their bottom so that gravity can help the object exit the mouth.
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Pat them firmly on the back, between the shoulder blades, five times with your palm. The blows should be strong enough to cause vibrations in the airways and eliminate the blockage. If this doesn't help, move on to the next step.
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Turn the baby face up, and place them on your thigh (head still lower than the bottom).
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Press down on the middle of their chest just below the nipples with two fingers. This maneuver squeezes air out of the baby's lungs and there is a good chance that the foreign body will pop out under the pressure.
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Call for emergency help if you cannot clear the airways, and repeat steps 2-5 until the blockage dislodges, help arrives, or the baby stops responding.
