Brief overview
- What is the (stable) lateral position for children? Stable positioning of the body on its side to keep the airways clear.
- This is how the lateral position works for children: Place the child’s arm closest to you bent upwards, grasp the other arm by the wrist and place it over the chest, grasp the thigh further away from you and bend the leg, pull the child into the lateral position.
- In which cases? For children who are unconscious but still breathing on their own.
- Risks: Damage such as broken bones or spinal injuries can be exacerbated if the child is moved. In addition, a possible cessation of breathing may only be noticed (too) late in the stable lateral position. Hyperextension of the head can narrow the airways, especially in infants and small children.
Caution!
- An unconscious baby or small child (up to about two years of age) should preferably be placed in the prone position (instead of the stable side position, as the youngest children are usually too small for this) and their head turned to the side. Vomit and blood in the mouth can then also flow outwards.
- For some years now, there have been two variants of the (stable) lateral position. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Neither is wrong, do the one you have learned in the course and with which you feel safe.
How does the recovery position work for children?
In the stable lateral position, however, the airways remain open:
- Make an emergency call.
- Check whether the child is still conscious. Talk to them and touch them on the arm.
- Check breathing: Hold your ear to the child’s mouth and nose.
- If the child is not breathing, start resuscitation. If the child is breathing, place them on their back.
- Kneel at the side and place the child’s arm closest to you bent upwards with the palm facing upwards.
- Take the other arm by the wrist and place it over the child’s chest. Place the hand of this arm on the cheek of the small patient.
- Grasp the thigh further away from you, just above the knee, and bend the leg.
- Grab the child by the shoulder and hip and roll him or her onto their side towards you.
- Align the upper leg so that the hip and thigh form a right angle. You can also support babies with a blanket or pillow on their back.
- Open the child’s mouth to allow fluids such as saliva to drain.
- Check the child’s pulse and breathing regularly until the emergency doctor arrives.
- Check the unconscious child’s breathing and pulse regularly.
To ensure that you know what to do in an emergency, it is advisable to take a first aid course for children and refresh your knowledge regularly.
There are two variants of the stable lateral position for children and adults. As the new variant is less stable but easier to learn and remember, it is presented here. Rescue workers only refer to the new variant as the “lateral position”.
Special case: the prone position
Babies and young infants are usually still too small for the recovery position. Emergency experts therefore recommend the prone position for the first two years of life (infants and toddlers). This is how the prone position works:
- Lay the baby or toddler on its stomach on a warm surface (e.g. blanket).
- Turn the child’s head to the side. For toddlers, you can also tilt it slightly backwards.
- Open the child’s mouth.
- Check the child’s breathing and pulse until the emergency services arrive.
When do I perform the recovery position on children?
Risks of the recovery position for children
In a 2017 study, scientists came to the conclusion that the recovery position (in both children and adults) can make it more difficult to recognize irregular or stopped breathing. This could delay immediate life-saving measures (chest compressions, mouth-to-mouth/mouth-to-nose resuscitation). Therefore, check the child’s breathing and pulse regularly and carefully.
If you overstretch an infant’s head too much, the airways will constrict. To be on the safe side, you should therefore refrain from overstretching babies.
In the case of broken bones or a spinal injury, the side position can cause additional damage to the child: Moving the child can aggravate the injury.
