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Don't Leave It to Luck
Learn Infant/Child CPR
By Donna Smith and Jessica Williams
The ABCs of Infant and Child CPR
Would you know what to do if your child stopped breathing? As a parent, it is imperative to know how to perform CPR on your child in the event of an emergency. The ABCs (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) of CPR still apply when attempting to resuscitate an infant or child, but the following procedures are different from adult CPR.
Infant CPR
Infants have a smaller lung capacity and a faster breathing rate than adults. Their rib cage is more fragile, and their neck is shorter. All of these important factors are why procedures for infant CPR differ from adult and child CPR. Here are the steps for infant CPR:
- Assess responsiveness by gently shaking the infant's shoulder. Shout for help. When help comes, instruct them to call 911.
- Place the infant on a hard surface such as a kitchen floor. Be extremely careful not to twist or move the neck, as there may be a spinal injury.
- Use the Look, Listen and Feel approach to assess the situation. Look for chest rises, Listen for breathing, Feel for the infant's breath on your cheek. This should take 3 to 5 seconds. If the infant is struggling to breathe, do not perform mouth-to-mouth (now called "rescue breathing") – just maintain an open airway.
- Open the infant's airway by placing one hand on the forehead and the other hand under the chin. Tilt the head back gently. Be sure you do not over-extend the neck, which can cause a blocked airway. Look, Listen and Feel
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