Module

CPR — Children & Infants

Definitions

Infant: under 1 year. Child: from 1 year to puberty. Cardiac arrest in children is most often caused by respiratory failure — that's why oxygen comes first.

Paediatric sequence

1. Safety
2. Responsiveness — tap, do NOT shake an infant
3. Open airway — neutral head position for infant; slight head tilt for child
4. Check breathing 10 sec
5. 5 INITIAL RESCUE BREATHS
6. Call 112 on speakerphone, request AED
7. 15 chest compressions
8. 2 rescue breaths
9. Continue at 15:2 ratio
10. AED after 1 minute of CPR (immediately if cardiac patient or electrocution)

Infant compression technique

Two-thumb encircling technique from the side
Thumbs crossed on the lower half of the sternum
Depth: at least 1/3 chest = ~4 cm
Rate 100–120/min

Child compression technique

Heel of one hand on the lower half of the sternum
If alone, use the other hand to keep airway open
Depth: at least 1/3 chest = ~5 cm
Rate 100–120/min

Infant rescue breaths

Cover BOTH the infant's mouth and nose with your mouth. Each breath 1 second. Watch the chest rise. If trained, use BVM with infant mask.

Child rescue breaths

Pinch nostrils, mouth-to-mouth (over film/pocket mask), match volume to child size, 1 second per breath, watch chest rise.

AED for children

Use paediatric pads if available — preferred for under 8s
Some AEDs have a child-mode toggle button
Adult pads acceptable if no paediatric ones — place front-back if pads might touch
For an infant, paediatric pads + front-back placement