What are the Steps for Child CPR?

CPR Procedure for Children and Infants

• The first step in performing CPR for infants and children is checking if the victim is alert. You do this by shaking the child gently or tapping gently on the shoulder. Ask the child out loudly, “Are you okay?” To see if they can talk or produce a sound. To elicit a response in infants, flick the bottom of their feet.
• If the child is not responsive, shout out for help. It would help if you didn’t leave the child or infant alone without performing CPR for at least 2 minutes. The CPR process should start immediately as every minute counts. Quick CPR’s performance is the only way you can help the child survive, and a few minutes’ delays can worsen the situation. If anyone else is around, you should ask them to call for emergency medical services and bring the AED machine if available.
• Gently lay the child on their back. If you suspect the child of having spinal or neck injury, two people can help move the child to avoid twisting the spine and head.
• While lying on their back, gently tilt the child’s head backward and lift the chin. Listen for any signs of breathing or occasional gasps of air for not more than 10 seconds.
• If the child does not show any signs of breathing, start by delivering two rescue breaths. With the head in a tilted position, gently pinch on the child’s nose and cover the mouth with your own. In this position, breathe into the child’s mouth twice.
• For baby CPR, cover both the mouth and nose with your mouth and blow in the air until the chest rises.
• If the child or infant is not responsive to rescue breaths, begin CPR.
• Kneel beside the child or infant. Place the heel of your hand on the chest right between the nipples. Place the other hand on top of the first and interlock the fingers then push hard. Press hard and fast on the chest (2-inch deep). Perform 30 compressions then give two rescue breaths in that sequence.
• When giving CPR to infants, use two fingers and press on 1.5 inches giving 30 compressions and two rescue breaths.
• Keep on giving 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until you see obvious signs of life such as breathing, specialized help arrives, the AED is available and ready for use, or you are too exhausted to keep going.

How to Use AED on Children and Infants?

The AED is a device used to restore the heart’s rhythm in cases of ventricular fibrillation. The device has software that detects the heart’s rhythm and indicates if an electrical shock could restore a regular heartbeat. If the heart is in a state of ventricular fibrillation, the device delivers a shock that restores it to its normal state. During ventricular fibrillation, the heart is in chaos and unable to pump blood. It often results from a heart attack, affecting the ventricles or lower part of the heart. The condition leads to low blood pressure and insufficient oxygen supply to body organs. When these occur, the victim falls unconscious. If CPR is not performed, the victim could die.

The AED is safe for use in both children and infants. It should be used as soon as possible to increase the chances of survival. With the AED, pediatric pads should be applied to children less than eight years old. Use adult pads only when the pediatric ones are not available. Some pads are universal with buttons to adjust the shock to pediatric (back and forth). For children under one year, always use a manual defibrillator if available.

Procedure for Using AED

• Prepare the AED and turn it on. Some AED devices have audio and visual prompts that guide users on their steps of operation.
• Open or expose the child’s or infant’s chest. Check and remove any medication patches on the child with gloves then wipe the chest dry.
• Peel off the backing on the pads. If necessary, connect the pads and plug in the connector.
• Before you start administering the AED, ensure everyone stays off the child, and no one is touching him or her by stating out loudly, “stay clear.” The rescuer should also stay clear of the victim.
• For older children, apply one pad on the upper right chest. The second pad goes to the lower left chest side. For infants, apply one pad on the upper left chest and the other on the back.
• Stay clear of the victim and let the device analyze the heart rhythm. It will give prompts which you should follow. If it indicates shock is necessary, press the shock button.
• Once the shock is delivered, resume CPR for another two minutes and deliver another shock.
• If the device doesn’t indicate the need for a shock, continue with CPR for two minutes or give five CPR cycles followed by the AED prompts. Continue with the sequence until you notice obvious signs of life in the victim.
• When the child or baby shows signs of life or starts breathing, discontinue the CPR. Keep the victim under close watch and take note of any changes in the condition.