Emergency CPR for babies under the age of one

[Blue_bumpkin]

The following are the appropriate steps you should take should you encounter an unconscious baby under the age of one (for summary see post #4)

Unconscious Baby
Assess your baby before calling for help. If you are alone and the baby is not breathing, begin rescue breaths and chest compressions.

(1) Check for response:

• Call her name, blow in her face or tap her foot gently. NEVER SHAKE A BABY
• If there is no response, continue to step 2
• If there is a response, SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE.

(2) Open Baby’s Airway:

• Put one hand on the baby’s forehead and gently tilt her head back
• Place one finger of your other hand on the tip of her chin and lift up

IMPORTANT – Do not press on the soft part of the neck as it can block the airway

(3) Check Breathing For Up To 10 Seconds:

• Look, listen and feel for breathing. Look along her chest for movement, listen for sounds of normal breathing, and feel for breaths against your cheek. Send helper to CALL AN AMBULANCE
• If she is breathing, hold her with head down and wait for help
• If she is not breathing give 5 initial rescue breaths as follows..

References: (1) British Red Cross 'First Aid Fast For Babies and Children New Edition'

 

[Blue_bumpkin]

Rescue Breathing: Baby
This is used for an unconscious baby who is not breathing. Always give 5 initial rescue breaths before beginning chest compressions.

1. Make sure your baby is on her back on a firm surface. Check that her airway is open. Place your fingers on the point of her chin. Don’t press on the soft tissues under the chin as you could block the airway. Lift her chin.
   
2. Pick out any visible obstruction from the mouth and nose with your fingertips, but do not do a finger sweep
   
3. Take a breath, then seal your lips around your baby’s nose and mouth. Blow into the lungs until the chest rises
   IMPORTANT - Do not overfill the lungs. Fill your cheeks with air and only use this amount per breath
   
4. Remove your mouth and watch as the chest falls back
   
5. Repeat to give 5 rescue breaths. If you can’t achieve a rescue breath (ie chest does not rise and fall) recheck the airway, recheck the mouth and nose (remove any visible obstruction), and make sure you have a tight seal around the mouth and nose. DO NOT TRY MORE THAN 5 TIMES.
   
   IMPORTANT – If breathing returns, cradle your baby in your arms with her head tilted down and CALL AND AMBULANCE, if not already done. Monitor your baby carefully until the ambulance arrives. Take your baby with you when you go to call the ambulance
   
   
6. Begin chest compressions as follows:

References: (1) British Red Cross 'First Aid fast For Babies and Children New Edition'

 

[Blue_bumpkin]

CPR: Baby
This is the combination of chest compressions and rescue breaths used to treat an unconscious baby who is not breathing. If you are on your own give CPR for a full minute before calling an ambulance.

1. Place your baby on a firm surface. Place two tips of two fingers on the centre of the baby’s chest
2. Press down sharply by one third of the depth of the chest. Release the pressure but don’t remove your fingers. Allow the chest to come back up fully. Repeat to give 30 chest compressions at a rate or 100 per minute
   
   *A rate of 100 per minute is similar to the beat of songs Stayin' Alive by the BeeGees or Another One Bites the Dust by Queen - Just familiarise youself with this tempo*
   
   
3. Give your baby 2 rescue breaths into their nose and mouth (as per above)
4. Continue to the cycle of 30 chest compressions to 2 rescue breaths for one minute
5. CALL AN AMBULANCE.
6. Continue giving CPR – 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths – until emergency help arrives, the baby starts breathing or you are too exhausted to continue.

IMPORTANT – Again, If breathing returns, cradle your baby in your arms with her head tilted down and CALL AND AMBULANCE, if not already done. Monitor your baby carefully until the ambulance arrives. Take your baby with you when you go to call the ambulance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOtvVIB8ULo&feature=player_embedded

References: (1) British Red Cross 'First Aid fast For Babies and Children New Edition'

 

[Blue_bumpkin]

SUMMARY

(1) Unconscious Baby

(2) Airway Open

(3) No Breathing

(4) Send Helper To Call An Ambulance

(5) Give 5 Initial Rescue Breaths

(6) Begin Chest Compressions With Rescue Breaths (CPR)

(7) Repeat For 1 Minute - Cycles Of 30 Chest Compressions To 2 Rescue Breaths

(8) If Not Already Done Call An Ambulance

(9) Continue CPR Until Help Arrives - Cycles Of 30 Chest Compressions To 2 Rescue Breaths


References: (1) British Red Cross 'First Aid fast For Babies and Children New Edition'

 

[Sarah10]

Thankyou for posting this, very helpful! Hopefully none of us will ever need to use this, but i think it should be bumped often! x

 

[Kimmer]

Thank you for this! It's something everyone should know, whether they have children or not.

I'll be memorising it!

 

[bky]

Just wanted to add a few things I learned in my infant CPR class.
In addition to foot tapping/name calling you can also try blowing in the baby's face. This should get you a startle reaction.

The 100 chest compressions per minute can be done to the tempo of Stayin' Alive by the BeeGees or Another One Bites the Dust by Kiss.

 

[Blue_bumpkin]

Just wanted to add a few things I learned in my infant CPR class.
In addition to foot tapping/name calling you can also try blowing in the baby's face. This should get you a startle reaction.

The 100 chest compressions per minute can be done to the tempo of Stayin' Alive by the BeeGees or Another One Bites the Dust by Kiss.

Great tip! I added it in.

Off to bed now. Will amend further in the morning

 

[Neferet]

Thanks for this. It's really useful. Hopefully we'll never have to do any of it, but it's always good stuff to know in case anything horrible ever happened.

 

[leelee]

Thank you so much for this. Can this made into a sticky I wonder. It is so helpful

 

[hayley x]

Thank you for taking your time to do this. Couldnt bring myself to watch the video but I'm sure its really helpful and I hope lots of people take advange from this xxx

 

[leelee]

Thank you for taking your time to do this. Couldnt bring myself to watch the video but I'm sure its really helpful and I hope lots of people take advange from this xxx

 

[leelee]

Thought this link would be useful as well, as it shows videos for choking, burns, CPR etc. There is also a quiz you can take.

https://childrenfirstaid.redcross.org.uk/

 

[Blue_bumpkin]

Thank you for taking your time to do this. Couldnt bring myself to watch the video but I'm sure its really helpful and I hope lots of people take advange from this xxx

xx

 

[Reedy]

Thank you for this x

I personally feel that all parents should be sent on a baby/infact/child first aid course funded by the governement, could save a lot of lives x

Also agree with LeeLee would be great if this was made a sticky x

 

[Hayley90]

I've bookmarked this

Defo think it should be a sticky, everyone should know these methods x

 

[~RedLily~]

Thank you for this. I learnt this in first aid but it's good to be reminded. Would definitely be a good sticky.

 

[Blue_bumpkin]

Bump

 

[hivechild]

I just wanted to add, that if you're uncomfortable (it's not your child/a stranger) or unsure about doing breaths, that chest compressions done right can be/are just as effective in moving air in and out of the lungs.

I just recently did a first aid course and they recommended you can just do compressions (adult or child/infant) if that's what you're comfortable with.

 

[hivechild]

It's also interesting to note the differences between the US & UK first aid for CPR. I was taught to do 5 initial cycles of 30 compressions/2 breaths before pausing to evaluate and/or call emergency services if you haven't had someone else call for you as that's how long it takes for the blood to do a full cycle.