The most important thing you can do in any emergency is remain calm. But when you're faced with an unconscious person especially someone so small and fragile as a baby staying collected may seem easier said than done.
Acting quickly and correctly is critical when it comes to first aid for an unconscious person. Permanent brain damage can develop within minutes if the baby's blood stops flowing, say the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
However, if you're calm, you're more likely to keep a clear head and be able to actually help. That's where knowing CPR can come in.
When You Should Perform Infant CPR?
There are a number of reasons why an infant's heart may stop or she may stop breathing, according to the NIH. These include:
- Choking
- Drowning
- Electrical shock
- Severe bleeding
- Serious head injuries
- Lung disease
- Poisoning
- Suffocation
In fact, choking is the leading cause of unintentional death in infants, reports the American Heart Association.
If an infant defined by the American Heart Association as a baby under the age of 12 months is not breathing, doesn't have a pulse and has lost consciousness, it's time to perform CPR.
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