Perform CPR on an Infant

Many think that they will never use cardiopulmonary resuscitation for an infant, but it is very important for everyone especially parents to go for a first aid course. It is also vitally important for everyone to know the steps involved in CPR to help in an event of a breathing or cardiac emergency. Even if you have taken a CPR class for infants before, it is important to keep the steps handy so that the information stays intact in your memory.

In this article, you will get a step-by-step guide on how you can perform CPR on an infant anywhere and anytime. 

Before you Perform CPR on an Infant

Before you perform a CPR on an infant, here are some things you need to consider:
1.       Check on the scene where the infant is lying to make sure it is safe. Secondly, flick the bottom of his or her foot to check for any response.
  1.          If there is no response, yell for help or call 911 or your local emergency number. You may also ask a bystander to call 911 in case you cannot do it. If you are alone with the infant, administer approximately 2 minutes of care and then call 911. By calling 911 on any life threatening condition, you will get consent to give first aid. You should check your child from head to toe and then ask questions to find the way you can help.
    2.       The third thing you should do if your child does not respond, is opening the airway and then place the child on his or her back. You should tilt the head slightly back and then lift the chin.
    3.       Check any signs of breathing- You should listen carefully for about 10 seconds to see if your baby is breathing. You should also know that occasional gasping is not breathing at all. Another important thing to know is that infants have periodic breathing. Any change in breathing pattern is normal and should not worry you much.
    4.       For a breathing victim, you should administer 2 rescue breaths. This should be done when the head is tilted slightly back and the chin lifted. You may pinch the nose shut and make a complete seal by simply placing your mouth over the child’s mouth and then breathe into the mouth twice. You may alternatively use your mouth to make a complete seal over the nose and mouth and then blow in air for one second to make the chest rise.
    5.       If your child does not respond after a rescue breath, you should start performing CPR immediately.
    NOTE: Abreathing child does not require CPR.
Performing infant CPR
A child who is gasping or not breathing requires immediate CPR. Below are steps you should follow when performing CPR on an Infant:
  • 1    The first step is kneeling beside your child to get ready for the exercise.
  • 2.    Begin chest compressions
This should be done only when the child is not breathing.
·         Make sure the child is on his or her back. Carefully tilt his or her head, butif you suspect there is a head or neck injury, roll him or her over by moving the entire body at once.
·         Place 2 fingers on his or her breastbone. You may then push with one hand on top of the other.
·         Press the chest down about half inches and make sure the end of the breastbone is not pressed since it is fragile and prone to fracture.
·         Perform approximately 30 chest compressions at the rate of 100 compressions per minute. You should let the chest rise completely before pressing again to make sure you perform a complete compression. 
·         After 30 compressions check to see if your baby is breathing
·         If he or she is not breathing, continue with CPR until emergency help arrives.
1  3    Perform rescue breaths   

      you should also perform rescue breaths after 30 compressions to help open the airway in cases of airway obstruction. Here are the steps involved in this exercise:
·         Lift the chin of the infant up by use of one hand and at the same time tilt the head by simply pushing the forehead with the other hand. You should avoid tilting the head back if you suspect your baby has a head or neck injury.
·         Cover the baby’s nose and mouth with your mouth and perform rescue breaths.
·         You should give at least 2 chest breaths per second and watch to see if the chest rises every time you give a breath.

14 Repeat rescue breaths and chest compressions
I    
      if your child is still not breathing even after chest compressions and rescue breaths, you can repeat the two processes to see if there is any positive response. Here is how you do it:
·         Give two rescue breathes after every thirty chest compressions. If you have someone else who can help, then you can perform 15 compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths.
·         You should continue performing 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths until emergency help arrives or the infant begin breathing.
·         In case you are alone and have done about 15 cycles of chest compressions and breathing (2 minutes of CPR), find an AED and call 911 again.
1 5 .Use AED if Available
F    
      For infants or children under the age of 9 years, you should strictly use a pediatric automated external defibrillator (AED). If you don’t have a pediatric AED with you, then you should use a standard AED though it is not recommended for infants or children below 1 year. Here are the steps of using a pediatric AED:
  •          Turn the AED on.
  •          Wipe the infant’s chest dry and then attach the AED pads.
  •          The machine will automatically give you step by  step instructions
  •          Continue with the chest compressions and follow the AED instructions until the child starts breathing or emergency help arrives.

26    Put the infant in a recovery position
I     if your baby starts to breathe after CPR or defibrillation, you should hold him or her in your arms (with the head tilted downwards). This will make sure that the airway is open and infant does not breathe in vomit. Continue the procedure until emergency help arrives.




Location: New York, NY, USA

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