Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): First Aid knowledge for every African

In an infant, check for a pulse (heartbeat) by feeling on the inside of the upper arm midway between the elbow and the shoulder. Check for the pulse in a small child of over 7 years the same way you would in an adult.

Chest Compressions

• In infants and small children under 7 years, use only one hand for compression. You can slip your other hand under the back of an infant to give firm support.
• For infants, use only the tips of the middle and ring fingers to compress the chest at the sternum (breastbone). A summary of information is given in the table below. Depress the sternum between 1/2 to 1 inch at a rate of at least 100 times a minute.
• For small children, use only the heel of one hand (see table for position). Depress the sternum between 1 and & 1½ inches, depending on the child's size. The rate should be 100 times a minute.
• In the case of both infants and small children, give breath during a pause after every fifteenth chest compression.

* Be sure not to depress the tip of the sternum