Using CPR for Infants

CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is a procedure that will save an individual’s life if they have stopped breathing or their heart has stopped beating. This is usually the result of choking, drowning, suffocation, or other medical issues such as cardiac arrest. CPR is a combo of providing oxygen to the lungs through rescue breathing and keeping the blood flowing by providing chest compressions.

If blood flow does stop, permanent brain damage or even death can happen within just a few minutes. Therefore, response time is critical. An individual can be easily trained in proper CPR procedures through a corporate onsite CPR training course.

Things to Consider

While it’s true that CPR is a lifesaving procedure, it’s best if performed by someone who has been trained. If you have not been trained, consider trying to find a corporate onsite CPR training course to help you learn, especially if you are a parent or someone who cares for children and infants on a regular basis.

The American Heart Association is currently teaching the new technique of emphasizing the importance of chest compressions over rescue breathing. You can still learn the traditional technique if you wish in a corporate onsite CPR training course.

What Causes an Infant’s Heart to Stop?

There are many different things that can cause an infant’s breathing and heartbeat to stop. These include: head trauma, poisoning, choking, electrical shock, suffocation, drowning, and more.

When Should CPR be Performed on an Infant?

If an infant is not breathing, has no pulse, and is unconscious, then CPR should be performed.

Things to Avoid

There are certain things that you should do and certain things you should not. These would be covered in depth in a corporate onsite CPR training program.

If an infant is unconscious, you should never shake them to try to get a response. Pinching them is the best way to try to see if they are okay.

When performing CPR on an infant, you should never lift their chin while tilting the head back to move the tongue from the airway. If you suspect a spinal injury, you should simply pull the jaw forward without disturbing the neck or head. Never allow the mouth to close.

If the infant is breathing normally, moving, or coughing, you should not begin chest compressions because that could result in the heart stopping.

When to Call for Emergency Medical Help

If there is someone else there with you, one of you should call for emergency medical help while the other one begins CPR procedures. However, if you’re alone, loudly call for help and then begin lifesaving procedures. After two minutes, if no help has arrived, you should call for emergency medical response.

As long as you don’t suspect a spinal injury, you can carry the infant with you to a phone if you need to.

Preventing Accidents

In most cases, the incident causing the need for infant CPR is a preventable one. Following are some tips that can help prevent you from needing infant or child CPR.

Assume an infant is more capable than you think. They can move around much more than you may want to give them credit for.
You should never leave infants unattended on a surface that they could roll or fall off of.
When putting a child in a high chair or stroller, always strap them in. You should never leave a child in a playpen with one of the sides down, and always follow precautions when using a car seat.
You should teach your baby early on the meaning of “no” and “don’t touch.”
Store toxic cleaning solutions and other chemicals in a childproof cabinet so that children can’t get their hands on them.
Make sure that the environment is safe for children and infants.
Always sit with an infant when they are eating – never allow them to move around while eating or drinking.
Never tie anything around an infant’s wrists or neck.

Sources:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000011.htm