CPR For Infants and Children Part 1

Dateline: 12/05/99

CPR or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is a lifesaving procedure that has saved many lives. It is a valuable tool that can be preformed in those first crucial minutes of an emergency situation. It takes special training, but it is not very hard to learn. .The Red Cross or  your local hospital should have classes available in your area. Today I will describe Infant CPR, for Child CPR go to CPR For Infants and Children Part 2.

Infant CPR should be used in the case of a baby under one year of age. If you find an infant in distress, check out the scene for clues to what happened and for any dangerous hazards in the area.

1. Check Responsiveness

• If there is any suspicion of a head or neck injury, do not move the baby unless it is absolutely necessary.
• Shake the baby's shoulder, to try and elicit a response
• If there is no response continue to step two.

2. Shout out for help so that others are aware of the emergency.

• Call or have someone else call 911.

3. Roll the infant onto back.

• If necessary roll the infant over onto his back. Do this as a unit, do not twist.

4. Open airway

• Place your hand on the infant's forehead and tilt the head back, also place your fingers on the chin and lift. This will make the airway. open.

5. Check for breathing

• Place your ear over the infant's mouths and nose. Look at the infant's chest to check for breath. Listen and feel for breath. If there is no breathing continue to step 6

6. Give two slow breaths

• Keep the head tilted and chin up while you make a seal with your mouth over the infants mouth and nose.
• Give two slow breaths each lasting one second. Be sure to watch for the chest to rise, and allow for chest deflation after each breath.
• If the chest does not rise, try two more breaths again, if this is still unsuccessful suspect that the airway is blocked and perform the Heimlich maneuver.

7. Check for Pulse

• Maintain the head tilt with your hand on the infant's forehead and check the pulse between the elbow and armpit for 5-10 seconds.
• Only if you can NOT feel a pulse would you start CPR. Never do chest compressions on anyone with a heartbeat.

8. Locate finger positions

• Keep hand nearest head on infant's forehead to maintain head-tilt while you imagine a line connecting the nipples.
• Place three fingers on the sternum with your index finger just below the imaginary line.
• Lift up your index finger and use only the other two fingers for compressions.

9. Give 5 compressions

• Do 5 compressions at the rate of 100 per minute, and five in three seconds or less. Count as you push down, "one, two, three, four, five."

10. Give one breath.

• Follow the same procedures as in step six except give only one breath.

11. Repeat compression/breathing cycles to continue CPR for one minute, for a total of ten cycles.

12. Recheck Pulse.

• Keep one hand on the forehead to maintain head-tilt.
• Feel for the brachial pulse between the shoulder and elbow on the inside of the arm for 5 seconds, if there is still no pulse go to step 13.

13. Continue with the compression breathing cycles

• Check the brachial pulse every few minutes.

14. If you baby ever begins to breath on his own discontinue CPR.

• When the  immediate crisis is over, Check the baby over for any injuries or problems they might have.

Be sure to check out next week's feature on Child CPR.

Until next time,

     Kelly

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