Resuscitating a child

These instructions apply to resuscitating a prepubescent child.

The success of resuscitation depends primarily on the time between the heart stopping to starting the resuscitation.

How to resuscitate a child

1. If a child loses consciousness, check whether you can wake them up by talking to them and shaking them by the shoulder.
   
   
2. If the child does not wake up, call the emergency number 112 and put the phone on speaker.
   
   
3. Place the child on their back and check if they are breathing normally. Open the child’s airways by lifting up their chin and tilting their head back. Feel for the airflow on your cheek and monitor the movement of the child’s chest.
   
   
4. If the child is not breathing normally or at all, start cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Give 5 breaths:
   • Clear the airways.
   • Place your mouth firmly on the child’s mouth.
   • Close the child’s nostrils with your fingers.
   • Breathe enough air into the child’s mouth for the chest to rise (move).
     
     
5. Give 30 compressions:
   • Place the base of your palm in the middle of the child’s sternum.
   • Press 30 times with straight arms.
     
     
6. Give 2 breaths.
   
   
7. Continue resuscitating the child with the continuous rhythm 30:2.

When resuscitating a baby, the compressions are done with two fingers.

• Place two fingers on the lower part of the sternum.
• Press downwards 30 times.