Unexpected death in a pediatric patient is usually due to trauma, sudden infant death syndrome, respiratory causes or near-drowning. Unintentional choking and suffocation are the leading cause of all injury death for infants under the age of 1.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, more commonly referred to as CPR, is an important life-saving procedure used by first responders. It is an essential technique to revive a patient who has fallen victim to cardiac arrest or has stopped breathing.

Knowledge of CPR is important to have in the event of a number of potential health emergencies. It can be a crucial technique to help someone who has inhaled water in a near-drowning or smoke in a bad fire. CPR can also be used to help victims of more uncommon hazards, such as poisoning and near-electrocution. Finally, CPR can be administered on the very young in possible cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Almost as important as knowing the steps to CPR is being able to notice when CPR is needed. Look and listen for signs of responsiveness such as open eyes, movement of arms or legs and sounds being emitted. If none of these characteristics are present, try to stir the person to get a reaction. With a baby, this could mean rubbing the infant’s chest to provoke a response. With adults or older children, this is best accomplished by shaking the victim’s shoulders and asking her about her own conditions.

CPR is certainly not a replacement for professional medical help, which is why you should first call 911 when you realize a person is unresponsive. However, CPR can be critical to avoiding death or substantial injury. Oxygen deprivation for as short a time as 8 minutes can cause death or substantial brain damage. Since it might take at least that long for medical help to arrive, CPR can make the difference for someone who has stopped breathing or whose heart has stopped pumping.

CPR Steps

  1. Try to wake the infant. Really little babies respond well having the soles of their feet rubbed or tapped. For infants more than 2 months old, tap their shoulder or chest. In either case, call out his name in a loud voice. Don’t hurt the baby but be aggressive; you’re trying to wake him up. If the infant does not wake up, have someone call 911 immediately. If no one else is available to call 911, continue to step 2 and do CPR for about 2 minutes before calling 911.

  2. Put the baby on a flat, hard surface like a table or the floor. Tilt the infant’s head back a little to open the airway. Put an ear to the baby’s mouth and listen for breathing sounds. While listening, watch the chest to see if it’s rising and falling. If you don’t see or hear any signs of breathing, go to step 3 immediately. If the baby is breathing, then call 911 immediately if no one else has already done it. If the baby vomits, turn the him to the side to keep him from choking on the vomit. If the baby stops breathing, go to step 3.

  3. If the baby is not breathing, give him two breaths. Cover the baby’s entire mouth and nose with your mouth and gently blow until you see his or her chest rise. Let the air escape — the chest will go back down — and give one more breath. If no air goes in when you try to blow, adjust the baby’s head and try again. If that doesn’t work, then go to step 4.

  4. Begin chest compressions. Put two fingers on the breastbone directly between the baby’s nipples. Push straight down about an inch and then let the chest all the way back up. Do that 30 times, about twice per second. After 30 pushes on the chest, give the baby two more rescue breaths (as described in step 3). Keep going — 30 chest compressions followed by 2 breaths — for about two minutes. If you still haven’t called 911 yet, do it now. Keep doing 30 chest compressions followed by 2 breaths until the baby starts breathing on his own, or until help arrives.

There is no substitute for proper training. Although written information about CPR can be invaluable in an emergency, but it is best to try to attend a CPR class. One of these classes typically will allow you the opportunity to practice CPR techniques on dummies, so as to gain a more intimate knowledge of the steps required. Many organizations, most notably the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross, offer CPR training courses for members of the community.

Source: AHA and About.com