What are the Objectives of Infant CPR?

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a combination of manual compressions to the chest and rescue breathing. Infant CPR is CPR that is performed on a toddler less than a year old. Because an infant is so much smaller than an adult, the techniques used for infant CPR differ from the techniques that would be used on an adult. But the overall objective--saving a life--is the same. To do that, however, requires meeting a series of other objectives.

Assess the Situation

• The first objective when learning/giving infant CPR involves assessing the situation. You need to make sure that the scene is safe and will remain safe for yourself and for the infant. You don't want to put yourself in harm's way. Next assess the condition of the infant. Gauge whether the infant is responsive, whether he is breathing on his own, and whether he has a pulse. Judge the skin tone and whether he is coughing or gagging.

Decide on a Technique

• Another main objective of infant CPR deals with learning how to help the choking infant. When you come across a child who appears to be choking, there are some basic steps to follow. First check the scene is see if there is anything in the environment around the child that can tell you what he choked on. If the baby is turning blue and is unable to cough or cry, the child may have a total blockage of his airway. If the child is gagging or lightly coughing, the airway is only partially blocked. Coughing is good, as it is an effective way to dislodge the item.

  If the baby is still unresponsive or unable to cough out the item, call for help. Stay with the child and try to get someone else to call 911, while you start back blows and chest compressions. If you feel the child is having an allergic reaction to something and the airway is closed off due to this rather than choking on something, call 911 immediately.

  Back blows involve positioning the infant in question face down on your arm with the head below the body (remember to support neck and head) and giving five firm blows between the shoulder blades.

  For chest compressions on an infant use two fingers and push on the breastbone (between the child's nipples).

Resuscitate

• In infant resuscitation you again check the scene, check the victim and call for help. You will then need to open the airway and check to see if the child is breathing. If breathing can not be detected, give two gentle breaths, enough to make the chest rise. Next, check for signs of breathing, movement or coughing. If there are no signs of circulation start chest compressions. Thirty chest compressions (at two per second) and then two rescue breathes. If signs of circulation return, but the child does not appear to be breathing normally, stop the chest compressions, but continue to give the rescue breaths at the rate of one per every three seconds.