Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for your heart baby

The essential steps every caregiver of a heart baby should know

Every heart parent (or person caring for a heart baby) should understand a couple of basic manoeuvres that might save the baby’s life if, god forbid, their heart were to stop.  I’ll add that this is an incredibly rare event, but so essential to know when you take your heart baby home. 

Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a way to keep your baby’s blood circulation going if the heart were to stop beating.  The aim is to do the work for the heart, by pushing the blood to the body and brain until a help arrives.  The acronym DRS ABS will take you through the steps that you should perform; Follow these steps in order. 

DRS ABC

In an emergency follow these steps;

1.     DANGER – Make sure the area your child is located is safe for you and the baby, remove objects that put you at risk.

2.     RESPONSIVE – Check if you baby responds to your voice or touch by gently squeezing the baby’s shoulders or hand. Avoid shaking them.

3.     SEND FOR HELP – You need help to be on its way while you help your baby.  Now that you’ve cleared the area of any dangers, pick up your mobile phone, put it on speaker and dial for an ambulance.

4.     AIRWAY – Lift your baby’s jaw slightly so its neck is not slumped over.  It should be in neutral position or pointing slightly upward.  Open their mouth gently and check for anything that could be blocking the airway such as vomit or an object. If you see something try and scoop it out with your finger moving the baby’s tongue out of the way if necessary.

5.     BREATHING – Check to see if your baby is breathing normally by watching to see if their chest is rising and falling or placing your hand on their chest lightly.  You can also listen with your ear close to their mouth to see if you can hear breath sounds.  If there is no breath sounds or if they are not breathing normally e.g. a breath every now and again -> start CPR

6.     CRP – Start CPR.  Ensure you baby is lying down.  Place 2 fingers from each hand in the middle of your baby’s chest. Aim to push down one third of the depth of the chest then release this.  Do this 30 times over in a regular rhythm of one compression every second.  Then give your baby 2 breathes by putting your mouth over their mouth and nose and breathing out.  Do this slowly.  Each breath should take a few seconds.  Now go back to doing compressions in the middle of the chest.  Keep doing this until help arrives.  If you have someone with you, swap every couple of minutes to give yourself a break.  Do not stop doing CPR until the ambulance arrives or your child responds and starts breathing.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital: The video on this page demonstrates proper techniques when providing rescue breathing and CPR for infants. 

BE ADVISED: This is not a certification for CPR.