How To Do CPR on a Child

For babies under 1 year old, do infant CPR.

Here's How:

1. Stay Safe
   Children may be infected with contagious diseases. If you are concerned about possible exposure to contagious disease, practice universal precautions and wear personal protective equipment, if available.

2. Try to Wake the Child
   Gently tap or shake the child's shoulders and call out his or her name in a loud voice. Don't hurt the child, but be aggressive -- you're trying to wake them up.

   If the child does not wake up, have someone call 911 immediately. If no one else is available to call 911, continue to step 3 and do CPR for about 2 minutes before calling 911.

3. Open the Airway and Check for Breathing
   Put the child on a flat, hard surface, such as a table or the floor. Tilt the child's head back a little to open the airway. Put an ear to the child's mouth and listen for breathing sounds. While listening, watch the chest to see if it's rising and falling. If you don't see or hear any signs of breathing, go to step 4 immediately.

   If the child is breathing, then call 911 immediately if no one else has already done so. If the child vomits, turn the child to the side to keep him or her from choking on the vomit. If the child stops breathing, go to step 4.

4. Give the Child Two Breaths
   If the child is not breathing, give him or her two breaths. Cover the child's mouth with yours, and pinch his or her nose closed with your hand. Gently blow until you see his or her chest rise. Let the air escape; the chest will go back down. Then give one more breath.

   If no air goes in when you try to blow, adjust the child's head and try again. If that doesn't work, then go to step 5.

5. Begin Chest Compressions
   Put the heal of one of your hands on the child's breast bone (directly between the child's nipples). Push straight down about 1.5 inches, then let the chest retract all the way back up. Do that 30 times, about twice per second.

   After 30 pushes on the chest, give the child two more rescue breaths (as described in step 4). Keep going -- 30 chest compressions followed by 2 breaths -- for about two minutes. If you still haven't called 911 yet, do it now. Keep doing 30 chest compressions followed by 2 breaths until the child starts breathing on his or her own, or until help arrives.

Tips:

1. When checking for breathing, if you're not sure then assume the child isn't breathing. It's much worse to assume a kid is breathing and not do anything than to assume he or she isn't and start rescue breaths.
2. When giving rescue breaths, using a CPR mask helps with making a proper seal and keeps vomit out of the rescuer's mouth.
3. Put a book under the child's shoulders -- if you have time -- to help keep his or her head tilted back.
4. When asking someone else to call 911, make sure you tell them why they are calling. If not, they may not tell the 911 dispatcher exactly what's going on. If the dispatcher knows a child isn't breathing or responding, the dispatcher may be able to give you instructions to help. If you call 911, be calm and listen carefully.

   _Source:

   ECC Committee, Subcommittees and Task Forces of the American Heart Association. "2005 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care." Circulation. 13 Dec 2005. PMID: 16314375