🛡️ Safety Lab · Pharmacy-Reviewed
Baby & Infant CPR — Step-by-Step Resuscitation Guide
Infant CPR steps based on Resuscitation Council UK guidance. Educational reference only — always take an accredited first aid course.
Infant CPR steps based on Resuscitation Council UK guidance. Educational reference only — always take an accredited first aid course.
Reading about CPR is not the same as being able to do it. This guide gives you the knowledge — but please book a baby first aid course today. What you practise on a mannequin becomes instinct. What you only read becomes panic.
If your baby is unresponsive right now — call 999 immediately. Put the call on speaker. The 999 operator will guide you through CPR in real time. Do not leave the baby to find this guide. Call first.
Check for response: Tap the baby's foot. Call their name. No response — shout for help and call 999.
Open the airway: Tilt the head back very slightly — neutral position. Lift the chin.
Check for breathing: Look, listen, feel — no more than 10 seconds. Occasional gasps are not normal breathing.
Give 5 rescue breaths: Cover both the baby's mouth and nose. Give 5 gentle puffs — only enough to see the chest rise.
30 compressions: Two fingers in the centre of the chest, just below the nipple line. Press down one-third of chest depth. 100–120 per minute. Then 2 rescue breaths. Continue 30:2 until help arrives.
If your baby is breathing but unconscious, place on their side. Cradle in your arms with head tilted slightly back. Monitor breathing continuously until the ambulance arrives.
Any baby who has required CPR must be assessed in hospital. Book a baby first aid course: redcross.org.uk · sja.org.uk
Resuscitation Council UK Paediatric BLS · St John Ambulance · NHS CPR guidance · Reviewed April 2026.