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Baby and Child First Aid

First aid for a child who is
unconscious and breathing

Watch this video, in which a child is treated when found unconscious and breathing. The information below the video gives you the key steps to help a child who is unconscious and breathing.

1

Check for breathing. Tilt their head back and look and feel for breaths.

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Tilting the child’s head back opens their airway by pulling the tongue forward. Looking at their chest to see if it’s moving, and feeling for breaths on your cheek, will help you tell if they’re breathing or not.

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2

Move them onto their side and tilt their head back.

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Putting them on their side with their head tilted back helps keep the airway open by making sure their tongue falls forward and fluid drains out. This will help the child to continue to breathe.

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3

Call 999.

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While waiting for the ambulance, talk to the child and reassure them. Make sure their head remains tilted back.

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