10/26/2026
Halloween means buckets of hard candy, caramels, and gum — and a lot of kids eating them fast. Here's what to watch for.
Serious choking looks like this: they can't cough, cry, talk, or breathe, and they may grab at their throat. If someone is coughing hard, they're still moving air — encourage them to keep coughing.
If they can't breathe, act fast and have someone call 911.
Adults and kids over 1: stand behind them, make a fist just above the belly button, and give quick inward-and-upward abdominal thrusts until the object comes out.
Babies under 1: never use abdominal thrusts. Support the baby face-down along your forearm and give 5 firm back blows between the shoulder blades, then turn them over and give 5 chest thrusts with two fingers. Repeat until the object comes out.
If the person stops responding, start CPR.
And for the little ones under 4, keep the hard candy, gum, and small treats out of the bucket.
Hands-on practice makes this automatic. Call 302-470-2601 or visit cprdelmarva.com to book a first aid class.