First aid for drowning

Drowning is one of the main causes of death among children ages 1-4. Children are curious and they are attracted to water but they do not understand that it can be quite dangerous. If your child becomes a victim of near-drowning, you can prevent the tragedy by providing him with the correct first aid.

•    Get the drowning child out of the water as quickly as possible. If he is not breathing, place him on his back on a firm surface.
•    Open your child’s airway by gently tilting his head back with one hand, and lifting his chin with the other. Put your ear close to his mouth and nose. Listen and look to the chest to see signs of breathing.
•    If your child doesn’t seem to be breathing, send someone to call 911
•    Start chest compressions, imagine a line between the child’s nipples and place two fingers below its center point, (infant two fingers or children one hand or two your choice). Give chest compressions at a speed of at least 100 per minute. Depressing infants chest about 1 ½ inches and a child about 2 inches.
•    After giving 30 chest compressions, remove any water or other material (if any) from the mouth.
•    Put your mouth over infant’s mouth and nose and attempted to give two breath. Child put your mouth over child’s mouth and give two breathes and continue giving 30 chest compressions followed by a clearing the mouth and 2 breathes for two minute.
•     IF you were alone with the infant or child after two minutes “go call 911 and return and continue the process of compressions, clearing airway and breathes. Keep doing this until the infant or child starts breathing  or medical help arrives.

Parents and caregivers must complete pediatric first aid certification or join pediatric CPR classes in San Francisco to learn the correct first aid techniques for saving the life of drowning child.