On Instagram, Dr Sermed Mezher, doctor and influencer, recalls a key point in the event of choking in a pregnant woman: the well-known Heimlich maneuver must be adapted, it
do not compress the stomach when the pregnancy is visible or advanced.
If she still coughs, we don’t rush into the maneuver
The video emphasizes an often forgotten detail: before acting, the person helping checks whether the pregnant woman is really choking. In the commented scene, she still produces a cough, even if weak. This point is important, because not all false routes immediately require a clearing maneuver.
The French recommendations distinguish partial obstruction from total obstruction. If the person can still speak, scream, cough or breathe, the useful action is toencourage coughingto stay close to her and monitor progress. Coughing may be enough to expel the stuck food or object. Intervening too early, by shaking or compressing, can on the contrary hinder this natural effort.
In practice, you must change your attitude if the situation changes: inability to speak, ineffective or absent cough, obvious difficulty in breathing, agitation then exhaustion. To better understand this protective reflex, True Medical also looks at the cough reflex in the event of a wrong turn. In case of doubt or worsening, call emergency services: 15, 18 or 112.
If the air no longer passes, compressions are done on the thorax
When the pregnant person can no longer speak, scream, cough or breathethis is a serious obstruction. In this case, the French recommendations first provide
up to 5 vigorous slaps on the back. If they do not allow the foreign body to be expelled, we carry out
up to 5 chest compressionsthen we alternate these gestures until expulsion or loss of consciousness.
This is where the “Heimlich maneuver” must be understood with caution. In common parlance, it often refers to abdominal compressions. However, in a pregnant woman, particularly at the end of pregnancy or when the abdomen cannot be encircled, these abdominal compressions are replaced by chest compressions in order to avoid strong direct pressure on the stomach.
The technique described in the video generally follows this principle: the arms pass under the armpits and surround the thorax, and not the abdomen. The French recommendations specify the placement:
- Position yourself behind the victim, standing or sitting;
- Pass your forearms under your arms;
- Place the fist in the center of the cheston the lower half of the sternum, without pressing on its lower point or on the ribs;
- Cover this fist with the other hand, then pull straight back.
It is therefore not a question of pressing vertically as during a cardiac massage on a person lying down. Chest compression to clear obstruction is done from behind, on a conscious person, with a rapid movement towards you. To review the general framework outside of pregnancy, you can consult the actions to adopt in the event of choking in adults.
If the person loses consciousnessyou must accompany him to the ground, call emergency services if this has not already been done, then begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation according to the instructions given by emergency services. High-quality scientific data on these particular situations remains limited, but the recommendations converge on a practical point: in visible or advanced pregnancy, we avoid pushing on the stomach and we favor chest compressions. First aid training remains the best way to acquire these skills without improvising.