If the person is unresponsive, not breathing normally, or you are unsure — call your local emergency number NOW, before anything else.
CPR — Child & Infant
CPR can keep blood and oxygen moving when a child or infant is not breathing normally or has no signs of life. Acting fast and starting CPR right away can help until emergency responders take over.
Call emergency services immediately if…
- The child or infant is unresponsive and not breathing, or only gasping
- There are no signs of life, such as normal movement, coughing, or normal breathing
- The child or infant suddenly collapses or becomes limp
- Breathing stops after choking, drowning, injury, or illness
- You are alone with the child or infant and CPR may be needed
- 1
Call emergency help
Call the local emergency number immediately for any life-threatening collapse. Put your phone on speaker if you can so you can start CPR while getting help. If another person is there, tell them to call and bring an AED if one is available.
- 2
Check for response and breathing
Tap the child’s foot or shoulder and shout. Look for normal breathing for no more than 10 seconds. Occasional gasps are not normal breathing.
- 3
Start chest compressions
If there is no normal breathing, start compressions in the center of the chest. For a child, use one or two hands; for an infant, use two fingers if you are alone. Push hard and fast, let the chest come all the way back up, and try to give 30 compressions.
- 4
Give rescue breaths
Open the airway by gently tilting the head back and lifting the chin. For a child, pinch the nose and seal your mouth over theirs; for an infant, cover the mouth and nose with your mouth if possible. Give 2 gentle breaths, just enough to make the chest rise.
- 5
Keep doing CPR
Continue cycles of 30 compressions and 2 breaths. Try to keep interruptions very short. If the chest does not rise with breaths, reposition the head and try again.
- 6
Use an AED if available
Turn on the AED and follow the voice prompts as soon as it arrives. Use child pads if available; if not, use the pads you have and place them as shown on the diagrams. Make sure nobody is touching the child or infant when the AED analyzes or delivers a shock.
- 7
Continue until help takes over
Keep doing CPR until the child or infant starts breathing normally, an AED tells you to stop, a trained responder takes over, or the scene becomes unsafe. If you are too exhausted to continue and no one can replace you, stop and wait for help.
Do NOT
- Do not delay calling the local emergency number in a life-threatening situation
- Do not stop CPR to check repeatedly for breathing or a pulse if you are untrained
- Do not give breaths that are forceful or too large, especially to an infant
- Do not place AED pads so they touch each other
- Do not shake an infant or child to try to wake them
Afterwards
If the child or infant starts breathing normally, place them on their side if you can do so safely and keep watching their breathing until help arrives. Keep them warm and calm, and be ready to restart CPR if breathing stops again.
Sources
- [1]IFRC International First Aid, Resuscitation and Education Guidelines — International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
- [2]CPR and ECC Guidelines — American Heart Association
- [3]First aid — World Health Organization
Printed from HealthPulse.cc — first-aid education only, not a substitute for training or professional emergency care. Always call your local emergency number first.
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