After five to 10 minutes without oxygen, the brain develops serious and possibly irreversible brain damage, according to University of Michigan Transport Center. Therefore, every parent or caregiver should know when and how to give cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
About CPR
CPR utilizes a combination of chest compressions and rescue breaths to restore the circulation of oxygen-rich blood to the brain, according to KidsHealth.org. Any person who cares for an infant or child should seek accredited CPR training for hands on training and possible certification, advises Medline Plus. The information here should not be used as an alternative to such training.
When To Use CPR
CPR may be necessary in many different cases, such as accidents, near-drowning, suffocation, smoke inhalation, poisoning, suspected sudden infant death syndrome and poisoning, advises KidsHealth.org. It may also be needed if a child or infant chokes, experiences an electrical shock, has excessive bleeding or has severe lung disease, according to Medline Plus.
Assess the safety of the area and need for CPR before beginning to administer it. Check the area of the infant or child to see if it is safe for you to approach him. If it is safe, rub the chest or tap the shoulders of the child or infant and look for signs of responsiveness, like movement, sounds coming out of the mouth, or opening of the eyes.
CPR For Infants
Using the ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) acronym, helps you remember the steps of CPR. First, open the airway. Do this by slightly tilting the infant's (babies less than one year of age) head back slightly, while holding one hand on the infant's forehead and one on the infant's chin, according to the University of Washington. Check for breathing, by putting your ear to the infant's mouth and nose, while listening for breathing and watching for the chest to rise and fall. If no breathing is present, give two rescue breaths, by covering her mouth and nose with your mouth and breathing into her mouth for one second for each breath. Watch the baby's chest rise to be certain the breaths went in. Using two fingers, placed in the center of the infant's chest (just below the nipples), perform 30 chest compressions at a rate of 100 per minute. Make the baby's chest compress approximately one-third the depth of her chest with each compression. Repeat this cycle. After completing two minutes of CPR, call 911 and continue the two breaths to 30-compression cycle until the infant recovers or help arrives.
CPR For Children
CPR for children (ages one year to eight years) resembles that of CPR for infants. Remember your ABCs. Open the airway, using the head-tilt/chin-lift method, advises the University of Washington. Check for breathing, and give two rescue breaths, by sealing your mouth around the child's mouth. Perform 30 chest compressions, using the heel of one or two hands, compressing the chest one-third the depth of the chest. Repeat for two minutes and call 911. Continue the two breaths to 30-compression cycle until the child recovers or help arrives.
Don'ts
When performing CPR there are several things you should not do. Do not tilt an infant's or child's head back if you suspect a spinal injury, advises Medline Plus. Open the airway by pulling the jaw forward without letting the head or neck move. If the child or infant shows any signs of breathing or movement, do not begin chest compressions. This can cause the heart to stop beating. Finally, do not check for a pulse unless you are a health professional trained in the proper technique.
