When it comes to performing CPR on children, it’s essential to know the steps so that you can help in the event of a cardiac or breathing emergency. Learn the steps for CPR for children in this excerpt from Mayo Clinic Guide to Home Remedies by Cindy A. Kermott, M.D., M.P.H. and Gail M. Boriel, M.B.B.S., M.P.H.
CPR for children
For children age 1 to puberty, perform CPR first, and then call 911 or emergency medical help. If you’re alone with an infant or a child, perform five cycles (two minutes) of CPR before calling for help or using an AED. Use one or two hands (depending on the child’s size) and breathe more gently.
mouth, remove it with a sweep of your finger but be careful not to push it
deeper into the airway. Alternate compression of the infant’s chest with gentle
breaths from your mouth.
CPR for infants
The procedure for giving CPR to an infant (under 12 months old) is similar to the one used for adults. Loudly call out the infant’s name and stroke or gently tap the shoulder. Do not shake the child. If there’s no response, have someone call 911 or emergency medical help while you follow CAB:
Compression
- Place the infant on their back on a firm, flat surface, such as a table or the floor.
- Imagine a horizontal line drawn between the baby’s nipples. Place two fingers of one hand just below this line, in the center of the chest.
- Gently compress the chest about 1.5 inches. Count aloud as you push in a fairly rapid rhythm (a rate of about 100 compressions a minute).
Airway
- After 30 compressions, gently tip the head back by lifting the chin with one hand and pushing down on the forehead with the other hand.
- Taking no more than 10 seconds, check for signs of breathing: Look for chest motion, listen for breath sounds, and feel for breath on your cheek and ear.
Breathing
- Cover the mouth and nose with your mouth.
- Prepare to give two gentle breaths. Use the strength of your cheeks to deliver puffs of air instead of deep breaths from your lungs.
- After the first breath, watch to see if the chest rises. If it does, give a second breath. If it doesn’t, repeat the head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver and give the second breath.
- If the baby’s chest still doesn’t rise, examine the mouth to make sure no foreign material is inside. If an object is seen, sweep it out with your finger. If the airway seems blocked, perform first aid for a choking baby.
- Give two rescue breaths after every 30 chest compressions. If some- one else can help you provide CPR, one person does 15 chest com- pressions and the other person delivers the two rescue breaths.
- Perform CPR for two minutes before making an emergency call for help, unless someone else can make the call while you attend to the infant.
- Continue CPR until you see signs of life or until emergency responders arrive.
Excerpted from Mayo Clinic Guide to Home Remedies by Cindy A. Kermott, M.D., M.P.H. and Gail M. Boriel, M.B.B.S., M.P.H.
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