How to Perform CPR on a Child
CPR can be a life-saving technique, but it’s important to know how to do it correctly. This includes understanding the basic steps of CPR and how to adapt them for a child.
The first step is to assess the situation and call emergency services if the child is unresponsive and not breathing. If they are responsive and breathing, check for any obvious signs of injury and provide care accordingly.
If the child is unresponsive and not breathing, begin CPR with chest compressions. For a child, the ratio of compressions to rescue breaths should be 30:2. That is, 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths.
Continue child CPR until the child begins to breathe on their own, emergency medical help arrives or you become physically exhausted.
If you are not trained in CPR on a child, it is still important to provide care. Call emergency services and then provide hands-only CPR by gently pushing on the child’s chest at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute, (or 2 per second) and a depth of 1/3 of the chest.
CPR can be a daunting task, but it is important to remember that any care is better than no care. By following these steps, you can help to ensure that a child in need receives the best possible chance of survival.
- If you see a child who appears to be unresponsive, the first thing you should do is follow the DRSABCD action plan and then call emergency services.
- Once emergency services are on their way, it’s time to start CPR if the child is not breathing properly or at all. The basic steps of CPR are the same for children as they are for adults, but there are a few key differences.
- To begin, place the heel of your hand on the breastbone in the center of the child’s chest. for a child 1-8 years old, we generally use one hand. For a child 8 years or more, two hands may need to be used to create the strength to perform the compression effectively. Perform 30 chest compressions and 2 rescue breaths on repeat.
How CPR on a child is different to CPR on a baby
CPR can be a life-saving technique for both children and babies, but it’s important to know how to do it correctly. For babies, the ratio of compressions to breaths is 30:2. This means that you should do 30 chest compressions and then 2 rescue breaths. We perform the same ratio on a baby under one year old but we use two fingers on the chest compressions, so that we do not use too much force.
For children, the ratio of compressions to breaths is 30:2, but you should only provide chest compressions until they start breathing on their own or help arrives. If you are not trained in CPR, or choose not to perform rescue breaths for any reason, it is still important to provide care by calling emergency services and doing hands-only CPR by pushing on the child’s chest at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute and a depth of a 1/3 of the chest.
How child CPR is different to CPR on an adult
For adults, the ratio of compressions to breaths is 30:2. This means that you should do 30 chest compressions and then 2 rescue breaths.
As we explained above, the difference is using just one hand on a child bertween the ag of 1-8 years old. This is not an exact science. If the 13 month old child is very small or the 8 year old child is th size of a 12 year old, then you will want to vary your technique to the appropriate version of CPR. It depends on the size of the body rather than the age of the person.
Can I hurt my child doing CPR
No, you can’t hurt your child doing CPR. CPR is a life-saving technique that can help to keep your child alive until help arrives. By following the correct steps, you can help to ensure that your child receives the best possible chance of survival.
Babies bones are very soft compared to a toddler or older child. This means their bones rebound easier than an older child or adult. As a result there are far fewer rib fractured after performing CPR on a baby, compared to a child or adult.
When should I do CPR on my child
You should only perform CPR on your child if they are unresponsive and not breathing or nor breathing properly. If they are responsive and breathing, check for any obvious signs of injury and provide care accordingly. If the child is unresponsive and not breathing, begin CPR with chest compressions.
CPR can be a life-saving technique for both children and adults, but it’s important to know how to do it correctly. Each situation is different, so it’s important to understand the basic steps of CPR and how to adapt them depending on the age of the person you’re trying to save. It’s also important to remember that CPR can be dangerous if not done properly, so it’s always best to get trained in CPR before attempting it yourself.
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