Infant CPR — step by step

If your baby has stopped breathing, you have three to four minutes before brain damage starts. That sounds terrifying — but it's also enough time to learn the technique now and never regret it. Here's exactly what to do, in the order you do it. Aimed at parents and carers of infants under one year; the technique for older children is similar but with different hand placement.

This isn't a substitute for hands-on training. Reading saves no lives — practising on a real-feel manikin does. Book my 2-hour parent course — £150 for up to 6 people. Invite the grandparents.

First — is your baby unresponsive?

Tap the bottom of their foot or shake their arm gently and shout their name. If they don't respond at all (no eye opening, no movement, no sound), that's unresponsive. Check their breathing for 10 seconds — chest movement, sounds at the mouth.

If they're breathing, just unconscious: place them on their side and call 999. If they're not breathing or only gasping, start CPR immediately.

Step 1 — Five rescue breaths

Lay baby on a firm flat surface (the floor is best — beds are too soft for chest compressions later). Tilt their head slightly back, just enough to open the airway — not all the way. With infants, over-tilting closes the airway.

Cover both their mouth AND nose with your mouth, sealing it. Blow gently for one second — just enough to see their chest rise. Don't blow hard. Five rescue breaths total. Watch the chest rise and fall between each.

Step 2 — Thirty chest compressions

Place two fingers in the centre of their chest, just below the nipple line on the breastbone. Push down sharply about a third of the chest depth — roughly 4cm — then release. Repeat at 100-120 compressions per minute (the rhythm of "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees, genuinely).

Count them out loud: one-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight-nine-ten… all the way to thirty. Don't slow down between compressions; consistent rhythm matters more than perfection.

Step 3 — Two more rescue breaths

After 30 compressions, give 2 rescue breaths the same way as before. That's one cycle. Now repeat:

• 30 compressions
• 2 breaths
• Repeat until help arrives or baby starts breathing

Step 4 — Call 999 (if you haven't already)

If you're alone with baby and didn't call 999 first: do one minute of CPR (about two cycles), then call 999 on speaker if you can. Then keep going. The 999 operator will talk you through it — they are brilliant at this.

If someone else is with you, send them to call 999 immediately while you start CPR.

What you should NOT do

• Don't use the heel of your palm — that's for adults. Two fingers for infants under 1, one hand for children over 1.
• Don't tilt the head all the way back — gentle tilt only.
• Don't blow hard — adult-sized breaths can damage tiny lungs. Just enough to see the chest rise.
• Don't give up — keep going until help arrives, even if it feels hopeless. Children have survived after 30+ minutes of CPR.

Why this is worth practising properly

I've taught this for over fifteen years. The parents who handle real emergencies best are not the ones who memorised everything from articles — they're the ones who practised on a manikin once or twice and trusted their muscle memory to kick in. That's why I run hands-on courses.

If reading this freaked you out a bit — that's the right reaction. Come and learn this properly. It's two hours, it's £150 for up to 6 people, invite the grandparents too, and you'll never look at your baby the same way again — in the best possible sense.

Eva Levinson is a Postnatal Midwifery Assistant for the NHS, a Doula UK trained doula, and an Ofsted/HSE compliant first aid instructor. She runs And Chillax in Anerley, South London.