How to Perform CPR on a Child: 10 Steps

The main goal of CPR or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is to revive the heart. To perform CPR on another person, you need to be very confident of what you are doing.

This is especially important in case of a child. If heart problems have affected your health condition in the past or a child in your family, it is even more important that you know child CPR. In case of an emergency situation, you must have the confidence and skill to perform CPR on your child. Make sure your health is in good shape before you decide to save someone else. The basic principles of adult CPR and child CPR arethe same except for the compressions and breaths.

Here are the 10 steps you should follow while administering CPR to a child.

– Give the child a little tap and ask if he is fine. This is to know how responsive he is. If he responds and is breathing you don’t need to perform CPR. Call 911 at this point for help.

– Next move his head back slightly and lift up the chin. This clears the airway before you breathe in.

– To see if he is breathing, check for any air coming out of his mouth and look for chest rise.

– Now it’s time for the rescue breaths. A child needs two medium (not full breath) breaths. Press his nose, tilt his head and lift his chin before you breathe.

– The next step requires you to check for a pulse. This has to be done not at the wrist but at the carotid artery on the neck. If you find a pulse there is no need for CPR.

– If you don’t find a pulse or heart beat, you need to revive the heart. Provide thirty chest compressions and release properly each time. Do this at a regular pace. Place yourself over the child and keep your hand in the middle of his chest and push.

– Following the thirty compressions, administer the two rescue breaths again.

– Now administer the thirty chest compressions once again.

– Perform the previous two steps repeatedly, alternating both five times. This comprises one cycle of CPR. If your health is not good, get someone else to help you.

– Once you’ve completed one CPR cycle, check the child’s pulse and see if he is breathing. If there is still no response, repeat CPR again until he gains consciousness or medical help arrives. At any point of time, in between the cycle, if the child awakes and can breathe, you can discontinue the CPR. While performing CPR keep checking the child every couple of minutes.

Even a minor breathing problem can result in cardiac arrest and later death, if not diagnosed properly and corrected. If you know child CPR you can help prevent untimely childhood deaths. The goal of infant and child CPR classes is to provide you the skill and knowledge to give immediate aid for any breathing or heart problems that you may encounter as a parent or a citizen.

To learn more, visit our website about your health issues today and bookmark it to share with others!

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Author Bio: To learn more, visit our website about your health issues today and bookmark it to share with others!

Category: Advice
Keywords: your health, cpr

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