How to Do Infant CPR

Keep this step-by-step guide to baby CPR handy -- just in case.

Photo: Veer

Ideally, every parent-to-be should take an infant CPR class, but let’s face it, some of us are a little, er, busy, or we’ve taken one and pregnancy brain has made us hazy on the details. Either way, consider booking a class through your local hospital or Red Cross and print out these instructions and tack them somewhere so they’re easy to grab in the event of an emergency.

Step 1: Check for responsiveness.
Worried your baby isn’t breathing? If your baby isn’t responding to your voice and touch, try flicking the bottom of his foot with your finger. No response? Move to Step 2.

Step 2: Call for help.
Turn to the person nearest you and tell them to call 911 immediately. The sooner the call is made, the sooner trained experts will be on hand.
If you’re alone, give yourself only two minutes to do CPR on baby before you call 911, since it’s important not to let a small child go long without oxygen.

Step 3: Open the airway.
Look, listen and feel for the baby’s breath. Position your head just over baby’s nose and mouth and look down toward his chest. If you don’t hear or feel his breath on your face or see his chest rise, try opening the airway. (It’s best if baby is on a hard surface, so go ahead and scoop him up and place him on a floor or table if necessary.) Don’t worry about tilting his head back. Simply align it in a neutral position, with his nose pointing slightly up, like he’s sniffing. Look, listen and feel for breath one more time. No breath? Time for Step 4.

Step 4: Give two breaths.
Place your mouth over your baby’s nose and mouth and give two gentle breaths. Keep your head turned toward his chest; watch for the chest to rise gently. If that doesn’t happen, move to Step 5.

Step 5: Start chest compressions.
Place two fingers at the baby’s nipple level. Slide them to the middle of the chest, just beneath the nipple line. Start chest compressions. Your motion should be fast and firm enough to manually pump the heart, so aim for 100 compressions that push baby’s chest down about an inch and a half deep. Know the Bee Gees song, “Stayin’ Alive”? It moves at about 104 beats per minute, so sing it if you have to.

Step 6: Keep going.
Alternate compressions and breaths -- 30 chest compressions, 2 breaths; 30 compressions, 2 breaths. Don’t stop CPR until you see an obvious sign that baby’s responded to your care, such as breathing or moving. Keep going until baby improves or emergency medical help arrives.

Step 7: Brush up on the basics.
Read this over and review it about every three months, since that’s about the time frame people start to forget what they learned about baby CPR. If you take a CPR class through the American Red Cross, you’ll have extra practice, plus access to an interactive refresher course online.

To find an infant CPR class near you, contact your local Red Cross or contact the American Red Cross at redcross.org.

The Bump expert: Mary Rudolph of the American Red Cross

Plus, more from The Bump:

Checklist: Emergency Info

Babyproofing for a Crawler

Top 10 Fears of New Moms

-- Jennifer L.W. Fink

Aug 31, 2011

See More: Baby Basics , Safety