First Aid: How to give CPR to a child

On discovering a collapsed child, check the scene for danger and establish whether he/she is conscious or unconscious. Speak loudly and clearly. Ask ‘what has happened?’ or give a command such as ‘open your eyes’.

Place one hand on their shoulder and tap them gently to see if there is a response. To open the child’s airway, place one hand on their forehead and gently tilt the head back.

As you do this the mouth will fall open. Place the fingertips of your other hand on the point of the chin and lift. Do not push on the soft tissue under the chin as this may block the airway.

To check whether the child is breathing, look for chest movement, listen for sounds of breathing and feel for breath on your cheek. Do this for 10 seconds and if the child is not breathing, begin CPR.

Kneeling at the side of the child, ensure the airway is still open by keeping one hand on the forehead and two fingers of the other hand on the chin.

Pick out any visible obstructions from the mouth, but do not sweep the mouth with your finger to look for obstructions.

Pinch the soft part of the child’s nose with the finger and thumb of the hand that was on their forehead. Make sure that their nostrils are closed to prevent air from escaping.

Allow their mouth to fall open. Take a deep breath in before placing your lips around the child’s mouth, forming an airtight seal.

Blow steadily into the child’s mouth for one second; the chest should rise.

Maintaining head tilt and chin lift, take your mouth off the child’s mouth and look to see the chest fall. If the chest rises visibly as you blow and falls when you lift your mouth, you have given a rescue breath. If the chest does not rise you may need to adjust the head. Give five initial rescue breaths

Place one hand on the centre of the child’s chest. This is the point at which you will apply pressure

Lean over the child with your arm straight and press down vertically on the breastbone with the heel of your hand. Depress the chest by one third of its depth.

Allow the chest to come back up completely before you give the next compression. Give 30 compressions at a rate of between 100-120 per minute. Return to the child’s head, open the airway and give two further rescue breaths.

If you are alone, continue giving 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths for one minute, then stop to call 999/112 for emergency help. If help is on the way, continue CPR until emergency help takes over; the child starts to breathe normally or you become too exhausted to continue.

If you are unable, unwilling or untrained to give rescue breaths, you can give chest compressions only.

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