Child & infant CPR
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If a child or infant is unresponsive and not breathing normally, call the local emergency number, begin CPR and get an AED. Compressions plus breaths are important for children and infants. Follow dispatcher coaching and current hands-on training.
Trusted references.
Published references provide deeper context. The practical steps are below; outside references need a connection.
Act on immediate danger. Seek qualified help when reachable and safe, but do not make your first protective step depend on a response. This page is general guidance, not a live alert.
Do now.
- 01
Check quickly
Check responsiveness and normal breathing for no more than 10 seconds. Gasping is not normal breathing. Place on a firm, flat surface.
- 02
Call and get an AED
Use speakerphone or send someone. If alone without a reachable phone after an unwitnessed pediatric collapse, give about 2 minutes of CPR before leaving to call and get an AED; follow dispatcher guidance.
- 03
Give compressions
For a single rescuer, give 30 compressions at 100-120 per minute, about one-third chest depth: about 2 inches in a child and 1.5 inches in an infant. Use one or two hands for a child; current AHA infant CPR uses one hand or two-thumb encircling hands.
- 04
Add 2 breaths and repeat
Open the airway and give 2 breaths, each about 1 second with visible chest rise. Use a neutral head position for infants. If unable or unwilling to give breaths, provide compressions rather than no CPR.
- 05
Use the AED
Follow device prompts and pediatric pad instructions. Pads must not touch; use front-and-back placement when needed. Continue until normal signs of life, takeover, exhaustion or an unsafe scene.
PLAN AROUND WHAT YOU HAVE
If help is unavailable.
Continue CPR while another person seeks help if possible. If breathing returns, watch continuously; be ready to restart if normal breathing stops. Do not stop simply because the expected ambulance time has passed. Rescuer safety and exhaustion can limit what is possible.
People & practical needs.
Plan for two roles: caller/AED finder and rescuer. Rotate compressions with minimal interruption if another capable person is present. Keep the child’s age, collapse circumstances and known medical needs ready for handover; new birth resuscitation needs a different protocol.
Keep essentials within reach
Keep the action checklist and written contact details accessible. Use the equipment named in this guide only when available and appropriate. Assign someone to check access, batteries and expiry dates before an incident; retrieving a kit must not delay the immediate protective action.
Next steps.
Arrange urgent medical care after resuscitation. Enroll caregivers in current pediatric CPR training before an emergency.
Breathing normally
Do not give compressions to a normally breathing child. Monitor closely and request urgent assessment for unresponsiveness.
No pediatric AED pads
Follow the AED instructions for available pads. Do not delay all resuscitation while looking for specialist equipment.
Questions in the field.
Is adult hands-only CPR enough?
Breaths are especially important in pediatric arrest. Give compressions if breaths are not possible, and seek dispatcher coaching.
Watch for.
This is a single-rescuer summary, not neonatal resuscitation. Two trained rescuers may use a different compression-to-breath ratio. Follow the dispatcher and current course guidance.
Sources & context.
First-aid summary based on U.S. references. Use the local emergency number; this is not a diagnosis or a substitute for hands-on training.
Osprey Zero combines source-based protective guidance with practical household planning. References provide context, not a promise of assistance. Some standards are U.S.-based; local risks, laws and services differ.
- AHA / AAP - 2025 pediatric basic life support
- American Red Cross - Child Cardiac Arrest
- American Red Cross - Infant Cardiac Arrest
- AHA - 2025 CPR guidance
Content updated 2026-10-02. Sources checked 2026-10-02. Next editorial review due 2027-01-02. First-aid summaries support immediate response and training; they have not received independent clinical review.