Infant CPR
As parents, you hope for nothing bad to ever happen to your child. Still, you want to be prepared for the worst so you know what to do in instances where your child needs help.
Learning how to do infant CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an indispensable skill that can save your child’s life and also save the lives of babies around you in emergency situations.
You should enroll in a proper course around you to learn the skill from an expert and practice on a dummy. This blog is not intended to replace proper training, but here is a guide on how to perform some of the essentials of infant CPR from the Red Cross:
Steps To Take Before Administering CPR
1. Check the scene
Check the scene and the child to ensure that you’re in a safe setting. Once that’s done, check on the child by calling out to them and tapping the shoulder. For infants, you can try to elicit a response by tapping the sole of their foot.
2. Call 911
If the infant does not respond, ask a bystander to call 911 while you administer 2 minutes of care. If you’re alone with the child, administer care first before calling 911.
3. Open the airway
Tilt the child’s head backward and then gently lift the chin to open the airway.
4. Listen for breathing
Listen to the child’s chest carefully for about 10 seconds and see if there are any breathing movements.
5. Deliver 2 rescue breaths
If the child isn’t breathing, lift the head and pinch the nose shut. Make a seal by putting your mouth atop the child’s mouth and deliver 2 rescue breaths.
If the child doesn’t respond to rescue breaths, begin CPR.
Steps For CPR
1. Kneel beside the baby
Move the baby to a safe surface and kneel beside them to stabilize yourself
2. Perform chest compressions
For infants, you need to use 2 fingers to give 30 quick chest compressions about 1.5 inches deep.
3. Give 2 quick rescue breaths
After the chest compressions give the baby 2 rescue breaths in a manner similar to that described above.
4. Continue
Continue this cycle until you see signs of life in the child or professionals arrive at the scene. If you get exhausted, ask someone else to take over until help arrives.
Remember, during moments like this, it’s extremely important to stay calm and follow the protocol instead of panicking. Proper training with an expert will make you confident that you are giving appropriate care. These are life-saving methods, so it’s important that you learn them and follow them appropriately to get the best outcome in emergency situations!