First Aid for Children and Infants: CPR Basics

Age Groups in Focus

In this course, our primary focus is on first aid for individuals aged 50 and above, primarily adults. However, it's essential to briefly touch on first aid for children and infants.

CPR Rules for Children and Infants

While we have already discussed adult CPR techniques, CPR for children and infants involves some distinct considerations.

Age Categories

Children and infants are divided into two age categories:

• Infant: From birth to one year old
• Child: From one to 18 years old

Initial Steps

The initial steps for child and infant CPR differ slightly from those for adults:

• Five Rescue Breaths: Begin with five rescue breaths. Unlike adults, who immediately receive chest compressions, children and infants benefit from these initial breaths to quickly introduce oxygen into their lungs. This is particularly effective as respiratory issues often lead to cardiac arrest in this age group.
• Compression Ratio: After the initial rescue breaths, the compression ratio becomes 30 compressions to 2 rescue breaths, the same as for adults.
• Compression Depth: While adults require compressions at a depth of 5-6 cm, for children and infants, the recommendation is to push down to approximately one-third of the depth of the chest.

Technique Differences

There are some technique differences when performing CPR on children and infants:

• Hand Use: With children, using one hand is often sufficient for chest compressions, although two hands can still be used. For infants, two fingers are recommended for chest compressions due to their smaller size. The compression location remains the same, at the center of the chest.
• Rescue Breathing: While performing CPR on an infant, sealing your mouth around both their mouth and nose can be effective due to the small size of their features. With a child, pinch their nose and perform rescue breathing as you would with an adult.

When administering CPR to a child or infant, apply the techniques you've learned in our other videos, adjusting the sequence accordingly: 5 rescue breaths followed by 30 compressions to 2 rescue breaths, 30-2, 30-2, 30-2.