Infant CPR is different than adult CPR since infants have frail bodies and careless handling might result to injury. How do you know when an infant needs CPR? Check if the infant is already unconscious; also check the infant’s pulse and breathing. If both are absent then you need to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation immediately.

1. Survey the scene. If it is safe approach the victim, if not, bring the victim and the guardian to a safe area.

2. Introduce yourself to the victim’s guardian, inform him or her of your name and that you are a trained rescuer or if not, inform the guardian that you are very capable of providing CPR


3. Assess the infant’s consciousness by tickling the sole of the infant’s foot. If the infant does not respond and you have observed that he or she is not breathing already, activate the EMS (emergency medical system). Ask the infant’s guardian to call the local emergency hotline for an ambulance and to call for professional medical services.

4. Check the pulse of the infant located on the inner aspect of the infant’s upper arm using the middle and the index finger for 5-10 seconds.
-if the infant has no pulse and no breathing proceed to do CPR
-if the infant has a pulse but is not breathing, provide rescue breaths
-if the infant has a pulse and has breathing, place the infant in a recovery position (side lying)

5. Perform a cycle of cardiopulmonary resuscitation that consists of 30 chest compressions and 2 breaths for both a one man and two man rescue

6. Perform 5 cycles of CPR within 2 minutes time which is approximately 24 seconds per cycle.


7. After 5 cycles of CPR, look listen and feel for breathing and then check the infant’s brachial pulse for 5 to 10 seconds.

8. Proceed to do chest compressions: Using your index and middle finger of one hand, locate the site on which the chest compressions are to be performed. This is located one finger breadth below the imaginary nipple line.


9. Support the infant’s head with your other free hand.

10. Compress to a depth of 1/3 to ½ of the infant’s chest for at least 100 chest compressions per minute.


11. After every cycle of 30 chest compressions, give 2 breaths.

12. In giving rescue breaths, first open the infant’s airway using the head tilt chin lift maneuver


13. Give breaths using the mouth to nose ventilation, pen your mouth wide enough to cover the infant’s mouth and nose to avoid the escape of air

14. Provide a gentle blow in every breath enough to make the infant’s chest to rise, be aware that forceful breaths will cause the infant’s stomach to inflate instead of the lungs.


15. Check for pulse and breathing.
-if there is pulse and breathing, place infant in recovery position and wait for the ambulance
-if not, proceed to use AED

CPR is applied on emergency cases such as drowning, choking, suffocation, poisoning, electrocution, serious injuries, severe hemorrhage and any severe lung disease. CPR is only provided by those who are adequately trained and with certification. To acquire certification, train on CPR training centers such as infant cpr class Nashville.