According to the Maine Medical Center, every parent should know how to perform CPR. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is the manual means of simulating breathing and blood circulation in a person who does not have a heartbeat and is not breathing. While everyone hopes it will never be necessary to administer CPR to a newborn, if the need arises, knowing what to do may save an infant's life.
First Response
Step 1
Shake the infant gently to check for responsiveness. It may be difficult to tell if the baby is breathing just by looking. If the infant does not respond, shout loudly in case he is deeply asleep.
Step 2
Place your ear on the newborn's mouth and listen for any sign of breathing, while placing your hand on her chest to detect movement. If you feel a breath on your ear or cheek, do not proceed with CPR.
Step 3
Shout for someone to call 911, but do not leave the newborn. Begin CPR quickly if the baby is not responsive.
Step 4
Place the infant on his back, taking care not to twist his spine if there is any danger of a spine injury.
Breathing for the Baby
Step 1
Lift the baby's chin to open his airway by placing your hand beneath his neck and lifting gently.
Step 2
Take a deep breath and place your open mouth over the newborn's nose and mouth, creating a light seal with your lips on her face.
Step 3
Puff gently, just enough to make the baby's chest rise. Each puff should last 1 second. A newborn's lungs are very small and require only a bit of air to fill them up. Offer two puffs, taking a quick breath of fresh air into your own lungs in-between.
Simulate the Heartbeat
Step 1
Start chest compressions immediately after you give the baby two puffs of air through her mouth. CPR requires both artificial breathing and chest compressions.
Step 2
Place the tips of your first two fingers on the lower one-third of the newborn's breastbone with one hand, and your other hand to hold the baby's head still.
Step 3
Push straight down on her chest, compressing it quickly to one-third of the depth of the chest. Repeat the chest compression 30 times in rapid succession and then offer two more puffs of air into her mouth. Continue to breath and perform chest compressions until emergency help arrives.
Tips and Warnings
- If the newborn does not begin to breathe after a couple of minutes of CPR, and no one is around to call 911, you must get to a phone, call for help, then continue CPR. If the baby begins to breathe on her own, stay with her until emergency help arrives. A doctor should examine a newborn who recovers as soon as possible.
- Respond immediately. Success depends upon getting oxygen to the baby's brain as soon as possible. The University of Maryland Medical Center warns that without oxygen, permanent brain damage may occur in as little as 4 minutes and death may occur soon after. Take a CPR class before you need it. The University of Maryland Medical Center advises that CPR is better when done by someone who has received professional training.
