Knowing how to administer infant CPR to a choking baby is a critical, lifesaving skill.
Understanding what to do if a baby is choking can help prevent serious injury or death.
What is CPR? Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a first aid technique that can save someone’s life if they stop breathing or their heart stops beating. But when performed on infants, CPR requires special techniques due to their size and fragility.
Children and babies are naturally curious and frequently place small objects in their mouths. One small object can block a baby’s airway, restricting their air intake and oxygen flow.
Thankfully, there’s a series of choking first aid techniques specifically designed to help a choking victim in infancy. According to the Mayo Clinic, performing CPR for infants is suitable for babies aged four weeks or older.
The U.S. Department of Health advises against performing CPR on an infant who is choking but coughing or crying very hard. This may clear the airways. But if a choking baby is unresponsive, not breathing, or merely gasping, the American Red Cross suggests proceeding with CPR.
Infant Choking CPR Steps
According to the U.S. Department of Health, there are several essential steps for how to help a choking infant:
- Deliver back blows and chest thrusts to help clear the airway.
- Perform chest compressions and rescue breathing to help restore blood circulation.
Contact 9-1-1
Whenever possible, quickly instruct someone else to call 9-1-1 before you begin infant first aid CPR.
If you’re alone with the baby, the American Red Cross recommends calling 9-1-1 yourself after you’ve provided about 2 minutes of infant CPR.
Provide Back Blows
Using your lap and forearm as a foundation, hold the infant face-down. Support the head and neck with your hand, keeping the head tilted lower than the body.
Using the heel of your hand, strike the area between the shoulder blades up to five times. Each blow should be firm and aimed at dislodging the object.
Perform Chest Thrusts
Flip the infant face-up while continuing to support the head and neck.
Place two fingers from your other hand at the center of the chest, slightly below the baby’s nipple line. Then, press down quickly to compress the chest down by up to half of its normal depth. Do this up to five times.
Repeat five back blows followed by five chest thrusts until the object is removed or the baby becomes unresponsive.
Conduct Infant CPR
If the object is still stuck and the infant becomes unconscious, proceed with infant CPR.
- Keep your two fingers at the center of the chest and perform 30 compressions at a rate of 100–120 per minute.
- Gently open the airway by tilting the head slightly back.
- Give two rescue breaths, each lasting about one second. Watch to ensure the chest rises with each breath.
- Continue cycles of 30 compressions and 2 breaths until the baby shows signs of life or emergency responders arrive.
Get Infant CPR Certified
It takes a village to raise a child. Everyone, from parents to nurses and emergency medical technicians, can help save a baby’s life if they’re prepared with infant CPR skills.
Sign up for online classes through the American AED/CPR Association and get CPR certified today.
With flexible online classes and professional-level instruction, you can become CPR certified and help save lives—even the smallest ones.