You never, ever want to think about it happening. Still, it’s crucial to understand what you should do if something like this happens.
If an infant near you is experiencing cardiac arrest or a breathing emergency, you need to stay calm and be prepared to react.
We recommend every parent, guardian, or adult enroll in a live, in-person CPR course. It is, without question, the best way to learn how to safely perform chest compressions on an infant.
To ensure your qualifications and comfortability in performing CPR on an infant, practice CPR on a doll with a healthcare professional or CPR-certified instructor present.
Unable to attend an in-person class? Sign up for online and virtual classes.
In the meantime, before you enroll in a class, this is important, life-saving information to be aware of in the event you need to start CPR.
CPR Requirements for An Infant
Before you start, check if the baby or infant is unresponsive. Shout their name and tap the bottom of their foot to get their attention.
If the infant does not respond, have someone call 911 immediately. If there isn’t anyone else available, call 911 yourself and put the operator on speakerphone as you start infant CPR.
How do you perform CPR on an infant?
- Place the infant on a safe, firm, and flat surface such as an empty table or the floor.
- Get close to the infant’s face, looking and listening for signs of breathing.
- If the infant is gasping or not breathing, place your thumbs (side-by-side) on the center of their bare chest, just below the nipples (in the middle of the breastbone). You can also use two fingers on the same hand.
- Push down hard and fast and let the infant’s chest rise to its normal position after each compression. Give 30 chest compressions, go 1 ½ inches deep (or 4 cm), push at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute.
- After 30 compressions, you need to perform rescue breaths by first tilting the head of the infant back slightly to open the airway. (One hand should be on the infant’s forehead, a finger on your other hand should lift their chin.)
- With the infant’s head tilted, place your mouth over both the infant’s mouth and nose, creating a seal. Give two breaths, breathing into their mouth and nose with your mouth with enough air to make their chest rise. If you breathe into just the infant’s mouth, keep their nose closed to prevent oxygen from escaping.
- Blow into the infant’s mouth for about 1 second and listen and feel for breathing. Their chest should be rising and falling. If not, reposition the infant’s head.
- Repeat 30 compressions and 2 breaths, breathing until help arrives or until you notice obvious signs of life such as moving, coughing, breathing normally, crying, etc.
If you haven’t had the chance to call 911 yet, do so after 2 minutes of CPR or 5 sets of 30 compressions:2 breaths.
When to Stop During a Medical Emergency
While performing baby CPR, keep going with repeated cycles of 30 compressions to 2 breaths until one of the following occurs:
- The infant becomes responsive (exhibiting signs of life as mentioned above)
- A healthcare professional arrives on scene
- The scene becomes dangerous, or you are physically unable to continue
If two people are able to perform infant CPR, the recommended ratio is 15 compressions to 2 breaths. One person should deliver 15 chest compressions as the second person delivers 2 breaths. They can then swap roles as they maintain this ratio.
What should you do differently when performing CPR on an infant?
The CPR approach is different when it comes to infants because you typically use the tips of your fingers to perform chest compressions instead of the heel of your hands with adults.
The compression depth for infants is 1 ½ inches or 4 cm compared to at least 2 to 2.4 inches (5-6 centimeters) for adults. Both infants and adults require a compression rate of around 100 to 120 compressions per minute.
You must overall be gentler with infants because they are significantly more fragile. It’s important to support their head when titling it back and provide one rescue breath every three to five seconds.
Interested in receiving a CPR certification? Check out courses offered by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross in your local community.
The more informed we are, the better prepared we are to react in an emergency, making it more likely for us to save lives. Every breath and second counts.