CPR
Basic Life Support
Knowing how to do CPR is vital for all parents. CPR isn’t even attempted in over a third of children who need it. The most common reasons are not recognising the signs and family not feeling confident in their skills.
Reasons children need CPR:
- Suffocation events such as drowning, choking and strangulation (this is the most common reason)
- Shock from sepsis or bleeding
- Heart issues such as from a congenital condition or electric shock (this isn’t common in children)
It takes only 6 months to forget how to do CPR after a course, good times to do a course are: Before your baby arrives and then before starting solids.
Choosing a first aid course
There are 4 key things to look for in a course
- it covers baby and child specific CPR and choking
- group size less than 10, the smaller the group size the better (10 is the maximum size where most mistakes will be noticed and corrected while you are learning)
- uses real-time feedback mannequins
- lots of hands-on time
But remember any CPR learning is better than none
If your child is not breathing, follow the DRS ABC sequence:
D Dangers - check for any dangers
R Responsiveness - are they responsive to voice and touch (shout their name and tap their chest or the bottom of their feet)
S Send for Help - call 111 for an ambulance
A Airway - open the airway
B Breathing - check for normal breathing - look, listen and feel for 10 seconds
C Compressions - start commpressions
Learn before you need it!
CPR for babies UNDER 1 year - in an emergency
Airway & Breathing
Airway
- put baby on a firm surface
- open their airway - keep head in a neutral position (nose to sky)
- make sure it is clear
Breathing
- look, listen and feel for normal breathing for 10 seconds
- lie them on their side if they are breathing normally
- check for signs of not breathing normally - no breathing, shallow breathing, slow breathing, very noisy breathing
- NOT BREATHING NORMALLY - START COMPRESSIONS
Chest Compressions
- put two fingers in the middle of their chest on the firm bony part
- push down 30 times
- ⅓ depth of chest
- 100-120 times per minute
TOP TIP - singing row row your boat twice is the right rate and number of compressions
2 Rescue Breaths
- open up their airway again (neutral position)
- use your mouth to cover babies nose and mouth, or close their mouth and cover their nose
- give baby 2 breaths - enough to see chest rise (around the same amount as blowing out a candle or the amount you can fit in your cheeks)
CONTINUE GIVING 30 COMPRESSIONS AND 2 BREATHS UNTIL SOMEONE TAKES
OVER OR YOUR BABY STARTS BREATHING NORMALLY
CPR for children OVER 1 year - in an emergency
Airway & Breathing
Airway
- put child on a firm surface
- open their airway - keep head in a neutral position (nose to sky)
- make sure it is clear
Breathing
- look, listen and feel for normal breathing for 10 seconds
- lie them on their side if they are breathing normally
- check for signs of not breathing normally - no breathing, shallow breathing, slow breathing, very noisy breathing
- NOT BREATHING NORMALLY - START COMPRESSIONS
Chest Compressions
- place the heel of one hand over the lower half of the breastbone, press down 1/3 the depth of the chest at a rate of 100 - 120 times a minute
2 Rescue Breaths
- after every 30 chest compressions, open the airway using the head tilt and chin lift
- pinch the nose, form a tight seal around the child’s mouth with your mouth and give two breaths through the child’s mouth, just enough to see their chest rise and fall