CPR Certification Manual: Compressions for Infants & Children

INFANTS

When performing CPR on infants, it is crucial to follow the correct procedure to ensure the best chance of revival. This includes performing chest compressions to maintain circulation until the infant's heartbeat and breathing return or until trained medical help arrives. Additionally, rescue breathing is essential in combination with chest compressions for reviving an infant's breathing and heartbeat.

Perform chest compressions at the same rate for infants as for children. However, the landmarks and hand positioning are different. It is important to check the child's mouth for breathing and provide rescue breaths during infant CPR. Single rescuer infant compressions should be performed with two fingers on the center of the lower chest, on the lower breast bone just below the nipple line. Multiple rescuer infant compressions should be performed with the encircling hands technique (wrapping hands around the infant’s chest), using both thumbs to compress at the same location.

CHILDREN (AGES 1-8): CHILD CPR

Compressions for children should be performed using the same landmark and hand position as adults when performing child CPR on children aged 1-8. It is crucial to continue CPR until the child's heartbeat and breathing return or until trained medical help arrives. Additionally, always check for normal breathing during child CPR to ensure the child is receiving adequate oxygen.

The single rescuer CPR compression ratio of 30:2 compressions-to-ventilations is the same in children and infants as it is in adults. However, the compression-to-ventilation ratio for multiple rescuer CPR for children and infants is 15:2. The compressions per minute rate remains the same (100-120). Compressions should be performed on children to a depth of approximately 1 ½ inches or 1/3 of the depth of the chest.