Lay Person Cpr On Newborns

GENERAL INFORMATION:

What is lay person CPR for newborns?

• Lay person CPR for newborns is cardiopulmonary resuscitation done on babies up to four weeks (28 days) of age. This may be done by anyone who is not a trained healthcare worker. This is used when the baby stops breathing and his heart has stopped beating. CPR is done by combining chest compressions (pumps) with rescue breathing.
  
  
• A chest compression puts pressure on and off the newborn's chest using 2 to 3 fingers. This presses the heart between the spine (backbone) and sternum (breastbone). Chest compressions force blood out of the newborn's heart and into the rest of the body, making his heart beat again. Rescue breathing means giving breaths to the newborn through his mouth, nose, or both. Starting CPR early and doing it correctly may help save a baby's life. Practice the steps of CPR and know them well.

Why might a newborn need CPR?

• Foreign body airway obstruction (an object blocking the airway), suffocation, or strangulation.
  
  
• Heart and brain diseases, or medical conditions that affect breathing.
  
  
• Injuries, including passenger and pedestrian injuries, drowning, and burns.
  
  
• Sepsis (severe blood infection).
  
  
• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

What can I do to help prevent cardiopulmonary arrest in newborns?

• Drowning: Do not leave your baby alone in or near water, such as a pool or bathtub.
  
  
• Passenger injuries: Always keep your baby secured in a car safety seat while driving. Do not drive if you have been drinking alcohol, taken illegal drugs, or medicines that make you sleepy.
  
  
• SIDS: Lay your newborn on his back whenever sleeping. Sleeping on his stomach or on a soft surface may increase the risk of SIDS. Do not smoke around your baby.

What should I do if I find a newborn who may need help?

• Make sure the area is safe to enter, and approach the newborn. Move the newborn only if the area is dangerous.
  
  
• Find out if the newborn is OK. Tap his shoulder, speak to him, and look for a response, such as moving or crying.
  
  
  • If the newborn responds: Quickly check to see if he has injuries. Call 911 immediately, send someone to call for help, or call from a cell phone. If you leave the baby to call for help, return as soon as possible and stay with him until help arrives. Allow him to move into a position that he chooses. Check often to see how the baby is doing.
    
    
  • If the newborn does not respond: Begin CPR and send someone to call 911 for help. If you are alone, begin the steps of CPR and do them for about two minutes. Give two breaths followed immediately with 30 chest compressions. Do this five times. After about two minutes or five cycles, call 911. If anyone is nearby, send them to call 911 while you continue CPR. If the baby is not injured and he is light weight enough to carry, take him with you to call 911. Always support the baby's head and body to prevent turning, bending, or twisting of his head and neck.

How do I give CPR to a newborn? By following the "ABC's", you can remember the steps to use when giving CPR. ABC stands for A irway, B reathing, and C irculation.

• Airway:
  
  
  • Kneel beside the newborn and look at him to check if his head, neck, or back may be hurt. Carefully turn him onto his back, keeping his body in a straight line, with no twisting of the head and neck. If there are no signs of injury and the newborn is on a soft surface, carefully move him to a hard surface such as a table or the floor.
    
    
  • Open the airway by gently tilting the head back and lifting the chin. Look into the baby's mouth. Check for something blocking the airway. If you see something that appears easy to grab, scoop it out with your finger.
  
  
• Breathing: Look, listen, and feel for breathing while keeping the airway open. Look at the newborn's chest and abdomen (belly) to see if they go up and down with breathing. Put your face close to his face and listen for exhaled sounds at the baby's nose and mouth. Feel for movement of air from his mouth on your cheek. Take only 10 seconds or less to check for breathing.
  
  
  • If the baby is breathing on his own and there are no signs of head or neck injury: Move him to recovery position . Carefully turn him onto his side while supporting his head and neck. Position his lower arm to rest in front of his body. It may help to keep the baby from choking if he throws up. You may need to roll the baby to his other side after some time to prevent nerve and blood vessel injury of his arm.
    
    
  • If the baby is not breathing: Give rescue breaths .
    
    
    • Keep the airway open by keeping the head slightly tilted and the chin lifted. Take a breath for yourself. Place your mouth over both the mouth and the nose of the infant, making an airtight seal. If your mouth can only cover the baby's mouth, pinch the baby's nose closed as you give breath. You can also try breathing through the baby's nose only while keeping his mouth closed.
      
      
    • Give two breaths (about one second for each breath). Do not give very large breaths, or breathe hard or fast. Take a normal breath for yourself after giving each breath. If you do not see the baby's chest rising with each breath, the airway may not be open. Gently move the baby's head to open the airway and try to breathe for him again. If you still cannot get air into the baby, the airway may be blocked by something such as food. Look into the baby's mouth for something that may be blocking the airway. If you see something that would be easy to remove, carefully scoop it out with your finger.
      
      
    • You may use a special mask or device for giving breaths during CPR. If you have it with you, use it. If you do not have it with you, give rescue breaths without it.
  
  
• Circulation: After giving rescue breaths, begin chest compressions immediately.
  
  
  • Place 2 to 3 fingers of your hand over the lower half of the baby's sternum. To find the right place to do compressions, imagine a line between the baby's nipples. At about one finger's width below the nipple line, you will find the area of the sternum where you should do compressions.
    
    
  • With the pads of your fingers, press straight down on the baby's chest one-half to one inch in depth. This should be about one-half to one-third of the depth of the chest. Take pressure off the chest and allow the chest to relax (return to its normal position) between compressions. This allows blood to come back into the heart before you compress again. Leave your fingers in place on the infant's chest between compressions. Do 30 chest compressions at a rate of about 100 every minute (almost two compressions per second). Push hard and push fast. Do not delay or stop the compressions.
  
  
• Putting it all together:
  
  
  • After 30 compressions, quickly move up to the baby's head. Open his airway by tilting the head and lifting the chin. Give two rescue breaths (about one second for each breath).
    
    
  • Give 30 compressions and two rescue breaths. Keep doing this until the infant starts to move around or caregivers arrive.
    
    
  • If the baby begins to respond or move around, stop doing CPR. Carefully turn him to recovery position. If there are signs of injury, leave the infant on his back and hold the airway open. Stay with him and watch him closely until caregivers arrive.

What else should I know about CPR?

• Drowning: Water does not act as an obstruction during CPR. There is no need to remove it from the baby before CPR is done. Start CPR as soon as the baby is removed from the water.
  
  
• Foreign body aspiration: Foreign body aspiration may cause mild or severe airway block.
  
  
  • Mild block: If the baby can cough and make some sounds, the block is mild. Allow the baby to cough and clear the airway while you observe for signs of severe airway block.
    
    
  • Severe block: Severe airway block will not allow the baby to cough or make sounds. In this case, give the newborn five back blows (slaps) followed by five chest thrusts. Do this repeatedly until the object comes out. If the baby becomes unresponsive, start CPR. Look into the mouth before giving breaths. If you see something that appears easy to grab, remove it. Do not blindly sweep your finger to get the block because this may push it further down the throat.

Where can I get support and more information? To become a certified CPR provider, you must take classes through an organization such as the following. Never practice CPR on another person if they do not need it. You can seriously hurt someone if you practice CPR on him. Contact the following for more information:

• American Red Cross National Headquarters
  2025 E Street NW
  Washington, DC 20006
  Phone: 1-202-303-4498
  Web Address: http://www.redcross.org
  

• American Heart Association National Center
  7272 Greenville Avenue
  Dallas, TX 75231-4596
  Phone: 1-800-242-8721
  Web Address: http://www.americanheart.org
  

CARE AGREEMENT:

You have the right to help plan your baby's care. To help with this plan, you must learn about your baby's health condition and how it may be treated. You can then discuss treatment options with your baby's caregivers. Work with them to decide what care may be used to treat your baby.

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