CPR Compression Rate for Infants & Children

CPR, which stands for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, is a way to save lives during emergencies when someone’s breathing or heartbeat stops. It’s especially important to know how to do CPR for infants and young children because they have different needs than adults. Did you know that 50 to 65% of children who need CPR are under one year old? Most of them are less than six months old. This shows how important it is for parents and caregivers to learn CPR techniques designed for infants and young children.

When you do CPR, the goal is to manually pump the heart to keep blood flowing and get oxygen to the brain until medical help arrives. You do this by giving rhythmic chest compressions and sometimes rescue breaths. Doing compressions at the right rate and depth is key because it makes CPR more effective. 

Learning infant and child CPR helps people feel ready to act if there’s an emergency and greatly improves the chances of survival for kids who need help. In this article we’ll explain the recommended cpr compression rate for infants and children. In addition to that, we will also provide you with some important tips on how to do CPR effectively for saving young lives.

Differences in CPR Techniques

The anatomical and physiological differences among adults, infants (1 year below), and kids (1 year to puberty) cause the CPR techniques to differ significantly. Let’s breakdown both anatomy and physiology of adults and children:

• Anatomy: Infants and children have smaller and more delicate bodies compared to adults. Their chest sizes are smaller, and their rib cages are more flexible and cartilaginous. This requires adjustments in hand placement and technique during chest compressions to ensure effective circulation without causing harm.
• Physiology: The cardiovascular and respiratory systems of infants and children function differently than those of adults. Their hearts and lungs are smaller and their oxygen demands vary with age. This impacts the ratio of chest compressions to rescue breaths during CPR, which differs from adult CPR protocols.

The technique for CPR must be adapted to suit the age and physical condition of the victim, as the force and depth of compressions and rescue breaths can significantly impact the effectiveness of CPR. Different age groups, including adults, children, and infants, require distinct approaches to ensure the best possible chance of survival. 

For instance, adults typically have larger body sizes and sturdier rib cages, requiring more force during chest compressions. On the other hand, children have smaller, more pliable chests, making excessive force during compressions potentially harmful. 

Therefore, understanding these physiological differences and adjusting CPR techniques accordingly is crucial for effective emergency response. Obtaining an online CPR certification can help you with the knowledge to adjust CPR techniques based on the age and size of the victim.

Infant CPR Compression Rate

Infant CPR compression rate refers to the speed and depth at which chest compressions should be administered to infants during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This technique is crucial for reviving infants whose breathing or heartbeat has stopped.

So what is the recommended depth of compressions in infants? Well, the recommended compression rate for infants involves performing chest compressions at a steady pace. It’s essential to press down on the infant’s chest with just enough force to compress it to about one-third to one-half of its depth. This action helps in circulating blood through the infant’s body, delivering oxygen to vital organs like the brain.

Unlike adult CPR, where compressions are typically performed at a rate of about 100 to 120 compressions per minute, infant CPR compressions should be slightly faster. Maintaining a rate of around 100 to 120 compressions per minute ensures that the blood flow remains sufficient to sustain life until professional medical help arrives.

Proper hand placement and technique are also critical during infant CPR to avoid injury and ensure effective chest compressions. Caregivers and those trained in infant CPR should practice these techniques regularly to maintain readiness in case of emergencies involving infants.

Child CPR Compression Rate

Child CPR compression rate is about how fast and deep you press on a child’s chest when their breathing or heartbeat has stopped. This helps keep oxygen flowing to their brain and body until doctors can help.

For children, you should press on the chest at a rate of about 100 to 120 times per minute. This steady rhythm ensures that blood with oxygen keeps moving through their body, supporting their organs and trying to restart their heart.

It’s important to press down hard enough—about one-third to one-half of the chest’s depth—while placing your hands correctly to avoid injury. Unlike CPR for adults, which has a similar rate but different techniques, child CPR adapts to the smaller size and needs of younger children, from around 1 year old to puberty.

Learning child CPR prepares parents, caregivers, and anyone who works with children to act quickly and effectively during emergencies. You can even become a pro by opting a cpr first aid certification online to practicing these skills regularly. This will help build confidence and readiness to respond when needed most.

Causes of Cardiac Arrest in Infants and Children

Now you have probably known about chest compression rate for child and infant, it’s time to know the causes behind cardiac arrest in them. However, not getting CPR on the right time is the primary reason behind that, but it can occur due to a variety of other factors:

1. Respiratory Failure: Respiratory conditions can quickly deteriorate into respiratory failure and cardiopulmonary failure, potentially leading to cardiac arrest. Conditions that most often result in cardiac arrest include airway obstruction, smoke inhalation, drowning, infection, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
2. Trauma: Trauma, resulting from accidents, injuries, or impact, can lead to a compromised state in which the pediatric patient is particularly susceptible to secondary complications, including shock, cardiac arrest, and in some cases even death.
3. Poisoning: In the United States, a child is poisoned every 30 seconds. Most incidents are accidental and occur by ingestion rather than inhalation or skin contact. Serious poisonings can result in a loss of consciousness, difficulty breathing, seizures, cardiac arrest, and death.
4. Underlying Heart Conditions: Certain congenital heart disorders can also lead to cardiac arrest. These include myocarditis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, abnormal heart rhythms (such as from Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome), and problems with the electrical system of the heart (such as Long QT syndrome).

These causes highlight the importance of early detection and intervention to prevent cardiac arrest in infants and children

How to do CPR effectively on Infants & Children

To perform CPR effectively on infants and children, it’s important to know their bodies and use specific steps to help them. Here’s how you can do it:

Step 1. Check if They’re Okay

To check if an infant or child is okay, gently tap them or call their name to see if they respond. For babies, softly tap their feet. If they don’t react and you’re worried, it’s important to act quickly. This helps you know if they need help right away. 

Checking their response is the first step to see if they need CPR to help them breathe and get their heart beating again.

Unfortunately, if they don’t wake up or move, it’s crucial to call emergency services for help and start CPR as soon as possible to try and save their life.

Step 2. Call for Help

When a child is unresponsive and not breathing, it’s crucial to act quickly. Call 911 or your local emergency number right away. 

Emergency services can send trained medical help immediately, which is essential because quick CPR can double or even triple a child’s chances of survival. In the United States, every year, approximately 7,000 children experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. 

Therefore, calling for help ensures that professional assistance arrives promptly, increasing the chances of saving the child’s life by providing advanced medical care as soon as possible.

Step 3. Position Them

When positioning an infant or child for CPR, it’s important to lay them on a surface that is flat and firm, like the floor or a table

For example, if a baby at a daycare stops breathing, you should quickly place them on a clear, flat area nearby. Make sure that there are no pillows or soft objects under them. This helps keep their body stable and makes it easier to perform chest compressions effectively. 

With a firm surface, you can provide the right support needed to give CPR and increase the chances of helping the child until professional help arrives.

Step 4. Start Compressions

To do chest compressions, place two fingers in the center of a baby’s chest or use the heel of one hand for a child. Press down firmly but gently. 

The goal is to push the chest about 1.5 inches deep for babies and about 2 inches for children. This helps pump their heart and circulate blood to their body and brain. Make sure to do this quickly and at a steady pace—about 100-120 compressions per minute. 

This rhythmic action is crucial in CPR to keep blood flowing until medical help arrives or the child starts breathing again on their own.

Step 5. Give Breaths

For babies, cover their mouth and nose with your mouth. Give gentle puffs of air, enough to make their chest rise. This helps get oxygen into their lungs.

For children, pinch their nose closed with your fingers. Then cover their mouth with your mouth and blow air in like you’re blowing up a balloon. Give two full breaths, watching their chest rise each time.

This helps keep oxygen flowing through their body while you continue chest compressions.

Step 6. Keep Going

Keep doing chest compressions and giving breaths in turns. Press down on their chest 30 times, then give 2 breaths. Repeat this cycle until someone who knows more about helping arrives, or until the child starts breathing again. 

For example, if you’re helping a child who isn’t breathing, you’d press on their chest, then give them air to help their lungs work. This helps keep oxygen flowing in their body until they can breathe on their own or get more help from a doctor.

It’s important to keep trying to help them until someone else can take over or they get better.

Learn CPR Compression Rate to Save Young Lives

Being ready to perform CPR on infants and children can mean the difference between life and death during emergencies. Remember, about half to two-thirds of children needing CPR are under one year old, highlighting the need for specific techniques for these young age groups. Learning CPR not only equips you with essential skills but also increases confidence to act swiftly in critical situations. Understanding and practicing the correct compression rates and techniques can help caregivers and parents play a crucial role in saving lives before medical professionals arrive. So, take the initiative to learn CPR—it could be the difference between helplessness and heroism when it matters most.