Child CPR

Child CPR is CPR that is given to any victim between the ages of 1 and 8 years old, according to the American Heart Association. The most important thing that you need to remember is that when giving CPR to a child there are some crucial distinctions between Child CPR, infant CPR and adult CPR. Even if you know adult CPR that can help, but you also need to learn the differences between the two treatments so that you can safely administer child CPR to a child in case of an emergency.

If you take care of infants and children it is especially important for you to learn infant CPR and child CPR because it has been shown that children are more likely to respond to CPR better if it is started as soon as possible. By learning CPR, you can begin administering it as soon as possible if an accident does occur in your home.

Here are the steps you should follow to give a child CPR.

Step one:
You need to find out whether the child is conscious or unconscious. The best way to do this is to speak to the child, use their name whenever possible. If they do not respond when you talk to them, approach them while you are talking and gently touch their shoulders. If there is no response, you will need to proceed to the next step.

Step two:
Yell for somebody nearby to call 911. Do not do it yourself because you need to start CPR as soon as possible so that the child has a better chance of responding. If you are alone with the child, you can call 911 after you have done CPR for two minutes. Once you have called for help resume CPR to increase the chances of the child responding.

Step three:
Place the injured child on their back. You want to do this carefully because of the chance that the head, neck or spine might be injured. When placing them on their back do not move or twist their head, neck, or spine, roll their body over as a single unit.

Step four:
Check to see if the child's airway is blocked. In most cases, the tongue is going to be the main cause of the blocked airway; however, other objects can cause the airway to become blocked. The best thing you can do is open the mouth and look inside. If there is a solid item blocking the airway use your finger as a hook to get it out or grasp the object with your fingers and pick it out. If it is fluid blocking the airway, you want to turn the child on their side to allow the fluid to drain out.

Step five:
Check to see if the child's airway is open. To open the airway gently lift the chin by placing two fingers under the chin and the palm of your other hand on their forehead. Doing this moves the jaw forward and tilts the head backward, which allows air to enter through the nose and mouth into the lungs.

Step six:
Look to see if the child is breathing. You can do this by looking to see if the child's chest is rising and falling. You can also listen for the sounds of inhaled or exhaled air. As a last resort, you can feel for exhaled air by putting your ear near the person's mouth. Because a person's breathing can change during an injury you should take the time to do this, they might be breathing one minute but not the next. You should also do at least two of the above things to see if they are breathing.

Step seven:
If the child is breathing, you will need to check to see if they have a pulse. To check their pulse you will need to locate an artery that crosses a bone. Feel under the angle of the jaw or on the inner wrist for a pulse.

Step eight:
If the child is not breathing, but still has a pulse you will need to begin rescue breathing. To begin rescue breathing you will need to open the child's airway and pinch their nose shut. Give the child two long, slow breaths. When giving them breaths make sure that, there is a seal between your mouth and theirs at all times.

Step nine:
If the child is not breathing and has no pulse you will need to begin CPR on them immediately, this will give them the best chance of survival.

Step ten:
Position your hands in the correct place. To position your hands correctly you will need t find the lower tip of their breastbone. You want to measure a two-finger width towards their head, so two fingers upwards from the breastbone. Another way to judge where to begin chest compressions is between the nipples. Here is where you will want to place the heel of one hand.

Step eleven:
Place your other hand on top of your first hand. Interlace your fingers, so the top fingers are underneath your first hand and the other fingers are straight out.

Step twelve:
Lean forward over the child so that your shoulders are now placed directly over your hands.

Step thirteen:
Using your upper body for strength, you want to push downwards on their chest. You want to compress the chest 30 times. Allow their chest to come up after each push.

Step fourteen:
Give two slow breaths after you have completed the thirty compressions. Pinch their nose shut and make a seal with your mouth over their mouth.

Step fifteen:
Follow the two breaths with thirty more compressions and then two more slow breaths.

Step sixteen:
You will need to give the child five sets, thirty compressions, and two slow breaths, before you do anything else.

Step seventeen:
After you have competed five sets of thirty compressions and two breaths, you will want to check for a pulse and breathing, use the above steps to check for breathing and a pulse.

Step eighteen:
If the child is breathing and has regained a pulse you can stop giving CPR and wait with the child until medical help has arrived.

Step nineteen:
If the child still does not have a pulse and is not breathing, you will need to repeat the cycle. You will need to do twelve more sets of chest compressions and slow breaths, followed by rechecking the pulse and breathing. You will need to do this until the child has regained a pulse and has started breathing, until medical help has arrived or until you are too tired to continue.

Here are some other tips to keep in mind for giving CPR to a child:

• Make sure that the airway is open at all times. After checking for obstructions, the airway should be clear, but before giving a breath be sure to lift up the chin with two fingers while pressing down the head with the other hand.
• Watch the child's chest as you give them a breath. You want to look to see that the chest is rising slowly, which indicates that they breaths are going in so the child is receiving oxygen.
• If the chest is not rising with each breath, you need to retilt the head and try again. In addition, check to be sure that you have the nostrils pinched shut and a good seal between your mouth and theirs or your mouth and their nose. If the breaths are still not going in there could be an obstruction in the airway, you will need to clear the obstruction before continuing, if possible.
• Try not to give breaths that are too large. This is important because a child has smaller lungs than you do. To help measure the breath that you are giving watch their chest, give enough of a breath so that their chest rises gently.

• If there is a severe injury to the child's mouth you can give them breaths through their nose, but you will need to keep their mouth sealed shut.
•     When compressing the chest be careful not to use too much force, you want to compress their chest about 1/3 the depth of the chest.
•     If the child vomits while you are performing CPR roll them onto their side and wipe out their mouth. Once you have cleared the vomit roll them back over onto their back and continue giving them CPR.
•     To get more information on CPR classes and first aid classes you can contact the American Red Cross chapter that is near you. You can find their phone number in your local phone book or you can visit their website at http://www.redcross.org/\
•     Even knowing the basics of CPR is not always enough. You should take a class to become certified in CPR because the standards are sometimes changed. To get the most current standards you can contact the American Heart Association or take a CPR class.