


Figure 11
If you are alone with the infant at the scene, do the following:
- Tap the heel of their foot and talk loudly at the infant to determine if they are responsive.
- If the infant does not respond, have the second rescuer call 911/EMS and get an AED. (The ILCOR emphasizes that cell phones are available everywhere now and most have a built-in speakerphone, so you can call while at the scene.)
- Assess if they are breathing (Figure 11d) while simultaneously checking for the infant’s brachial pulse for 5 but no more than 10 seconds (Figure 11e). If the infant does not respond and is not breathing (only gasping), yell for help.
- If you cannot feel a pulse (or if you are unsure), begin CPR by doing 30 compressions followed by two breaths. If you can feel a pulse but the rate is less than 60 beats per minute, begin CPR. This rate is too slow for an infant. To perform CPR on an infant, do the following:
- Be sure the infant is face-up on a hard surface.
- Using two fingers, perform compressions in the center of the infant’s chest (Figure 11f); do not press on the end of the sternum as this can cause injury to the infant.
- Compression depth should be about 1.5 inches (4 cm) and 100-120 compressions.
- Perform CPR for about two minutes (using cycles of 30 compressions and two breaths). If help has not arrived, call 911/EMS and get an AED.
- Use and follow AED prompts when available while continuing CPR until EMS arrives or until the infant’s condition normalizes.