A Sterling Heights Police Department officer's quick response saved a 3-week-old baby who was choking from milk.
A dashcam video of the incident was posted on the police department's Facebook page on Monday, July 13.
On July 9, Officer Cameron Maciejewski can be seen rushing to a 911 emergency call as a three-week-old baby stopped breathing while drinking milk from the bottle. According to CNN, Maciejewski was greeted by the frantic mother and the rest of the family as he arrived at the scene. The officer assured them then started asking about the baby girl whose airway was blocked.
"Calm down, let me see the baby," Maciejewski told the woman carrying the baby and took the infant from her.
Maciejewski checked on the baby and found something blocked her airway. He then turned over the baby, and after giving a few back thrusts, the infant began to cry. The mother fell on the ground in relief as Maciejewski told them the baby is fine. The baby was later brought to the hospital for further evaluation.
Sterling Heights Police Department commended Maciejewski for his "quick, calm, lifesaving actions" that prevented any tragic outcome. In the Facebook post, the officer was hailed because he did not only save the officer save the baby, but the officer did an outstanding job consoling the family,"
Maciejewski said in another post that he learned his abilities to think quickly and stay calm from his training. He said that he had to keep his cool to avoid further escalating the situation.
What to Do to Help a Choking Baby
The Sterling Heights incident is not the first time when a police officer has saved a baby who struggles from choking. Emergencies can happen in a snap, and as the officer, we should be able to decide what to do to help alleviate the situation quickly.
Babies can choke from many different things. These may include food such as grapes, chunks of meat, cheese, vegetables, fruit, or hotdogs, nuts, and candies, among other things. They can also choke from purees, milk (formula or breastmilk), and even their saliva or mucus as well as other things like coins, marbles, or tiny toy parts.
Since their airways are small, they can easily choke on practically all things. So what should we do when the baby is choking? Follow these simple steps to avoid any horrible thing from happening.
Analyze the baby's situation
A baby who cannot cry or cough is choking as the infant's airway is completely obstructed. While a baby's gagging looks scary, they are not choking if they can still breathe and create a noise choking.
Make a 911 call
Ask another person to call 911 and put the call on speaker. Follow the steps provided by the operator. Update the operator on the baby's condition, particularly when the infant becomes unconscious.
Turn the baby facing down
With support from the thigh, put the baby facing down on the forearm, then give five quick but strong thrusts at the baby's back. This would create vibrations and pressure in the baby's airway and force the obstruction out. Turn the baby onto their back
Lay the baby on your thigh and keep the head lower than the chest. Using the index and middle fingers, locate the baby's breastbone and use enough pressure to press down the chest. Similarly, this would push air from the lungs into the airway to release the object. Use
Repeat the process
Repeat steps 3 and 4 if the object is still not removed. However, if the baby loses consciousness, immediately advise the 911 operator.
While it is tempting to try grabbing the object from the baby's mouth, avoid doing so because it may worsen the situation and further push the object. Also, avoid doing thrusts on the baby's abdomen as it may damage the baby's organs.
It is better to call for help from 911 or local emergency hotline. After all, a baby's life is at stake, and that is something we cannot gamble on.
