Knowing how to perform infant CPR means you can start the right actions within seconds when a baby under 12 months is unresponsive and not breathing normally. This guide covers the full sequence for a single rescuer and notes where it changes with two trained rescuers. You need no equipment to begin, though a firm, flat surface and a phone for calling emergency services will help. Guidelines are updated periodically, and as of 2026 the steps below reflect American Heart Association (AHA) and Red Cross recommendations, but confirm them with those organizations. Reading is not a substitute for hands-on practice, so plan to take a certified course afterward.

Step 1: Check the Scene and Confirm the Infant Is Unresponsive

Before you touch the baby, look around for anything that could hurt you too: traffic, water, exposed electrical sources, a hot stove, or furniture that could fall. A rescuer who becomes a second victim cannot help anyone. This check takes a couple of seconds, not a minute.

Next, test for a response. Tap the sole of the baby's foot firmly and call the infant's name or shout loudly. Do not shake an infant to wake them. Shaking can cause serious injury to a baby's brain and neck, and it will not help in cardiac arrest.

While you do this, look at the chest for breathing. Spend no more than 10 seconds. You are looking for:

No chest movement at all, or
Only gasping, which is an occasional, labored, snoring-like effort.

Gasping is not normal breathing. A baby who is unresponsive and only gasping needs CPR. Normal breathing is regular, effortless chest rise and fall.

Common mistake: waiting to decide whether the situation is serious enough. Rescuers often hesitate because they fear doing it wrong or hurting the baby. If the infant is unresponsive and not breathing normally, the baby is already in danger, and imperfect CPR is far better than none. If you are unsure and the baby is limp and silent, begin.

Step 2: Call for Help and Get an AED

An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a portable device that analyzes the heart rhythm and can deliver a shock if one is needed. Getting emergency responders and an AED moving early matters, and who does what depends on how many people are present.

Two or more people: One person starts CPR immediately while the other calls 911 (or your local emergency number) and then fetches an AED if one is nearby.
Alone, and you did not see the baby collapse: Give about 2 minutes of CPR first, then call 911. Infant cardiac arrest is often caused by a breathing problem, so oxygen and ventilation come first.

Put your phone on speaker so the dispatcher can coach you while both hands stay on the baby. Dispatchers are trained to guide callers through compressions and breaths, and they will tell you when to stop or change something. If you have a phone with a hands-free option, set it up before you begin.

If a second person is available, send them for the AED when you know one is close. In a workplace, child care center, or school, learn the AED location before an emergency, and make sure everyone on staff knows it too. Searching for the device during a crisis wastes time you do not have.

Protocols change from time to time. As of 2026, check the current guidance from the American Heart Association or the Red Cross to confirm the timing for calling and the details of the sequence.

Step 3: Position the Infant on a Firm, Flat Surface

Lay the baby face up on a table, the floor, or a firm changing surface. Do not perform CPR on a bed, sofa, or your lap. Soft surfaces absorb the force of your compressions, so the chest does not compress to the needed depth even when you push correctly.

Keep the head, neck, and torso in a straight line. If you must move the infant to reach a firm surface, support the head and neck as you lift, and move the baby as one unit rather than letting the head fall back or to the side.

If the baby is wearing bulky clothing, open or remove it from the chest, but only if you can do so within a few seconds. You need to see the chest rise and fall and to place your fingers accurately. Do not spend time on buttons or snaps if the clothing is thin enough to compress through.

Think about your own position as well. Place the infant so you can reach both the chest and the face without moving the baby again. On a table, stand at the baby's side. On the floor, kneel beside the chest. Staying in one spot lets you move from compressions to breaths quickly, and every second you are not compressing reduces blood flow to the brain and heart.

Step 4: Give 30 Chest Compressions With Two Fingers

Compressions are the rhythmic pushes on the chest that move blood to the brain and heart when the heart is not pumping effectively. For a single rescuer, use the two-finger technique.

Place two fingers in the center of the chest, just below the nipple line, on the lower half of the breastbone (sternum). Avoid the very bottom tip of the breastbone.
Push straight down about one third the depth of the chest, roughly 1.5 inches (4 cm).
Let the chest return fully to its normal position after every push. This is called recoil, and it lets the heart refill with blood.
Compress at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute. Thirty compressions should take roughly 15 to 18 seconds.

A common pacing aid is the beat of "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees, which falls within the target range. Count out loud to keep your rhythm steady.

Two-thumb technique for two rescuers

When two rescuers trained in healthcare settings are present, the preferred method is the two-thumb encircling-hands technique. Place both thumbs side by side on the lower half of the sternum, and wrap your fingers around the baby's ribs and back for support. This tends to produce better depth and blood flow than two fingers. With two rescuers, the ratio changes to 15 compressions to 2 breaths (see Step 6).

Mistakes to avoid

Pressing too shallow. Rescuers worry about hurting a small body and push too gently. Aim for the full one third depth.
Leaning on the chest. Resting weight between pushes prevents recoil. Lift pressure completely, keeping your fingers in contact.
Pausing too long. Keep interruptions short. Every pause drops blood flow.
Using adult depth. Adult-force compressions are too deep for an infant's chest.

Step 5: Open the Airway and Give 2 Rescue Breaths

After 30 compressions, open the airway. Gently tilt the head back into a neutral or slightly "sniffing" position, as if the baby were smelling something. Do not over-extend the neck. An infant's airway is small and flexible, and tilting too far can bend it shut.

Before the first breath only, glance in the mouth. If you can see an object, remove it. Never do blind finger sweeps, which can push an object deeper.

Then deliver breaths:

Cover the baby's mouth and nose together with your mouth, forming a seal. If you have a pediatric mask or barrier device, use it.
Give one breath over about 1 second. Use only enough air to see the chest begin to rise. These are small puffs from your cheeks, not a full adult breath, which can overinflate a baby's lungs.
Pause, let the air escape, and give a second breath the same way.

If the chest does not rise, reposition the head and try once more. If it still does not rise, do not keep trying. Return to compressions, and check the mouth for a visible object before your next set of breaths.

If you are unwilling or unable to give breaths, hands-only CPR is better than doing nothing. Keep in mind that breaths matter more for infants than for adults, because cardiac arrest in babies is often caused by breathing problems rather than a primary heart rhythm issue. If you have the training and ability, include them.

Step 6: Continue Cycles and Use an AED When It Arrives

Repeat cycles of 30 compressions and 2 breaths. When two healthcare rescuers are present, use 15 compressions and 2 breaths instead. Keep interruptions to a minimum, and count aloud so your partner knows when breaths are coming.

Switch compressors about every 2 minutes. Compressions are tiring, and quality drops faster than you expect. Make the switch quickly, ideally during a scheduled breath pause, so the pause stays short.

Using an AED

When the AED arrives, turn it on and follow its voice prompts. Do not stop compressions until the device tells you to or you need to attach the pads.

Use pediatric pads or a pediatric dose-attenuating system if one is available.
If only adult pads are available, use them. Do not delay a shock waiting for the right size.
If adult pads might touch each other on a small chest, place one on the front and one on the back.
Stand clear while the device analyzes and while it delivers a shock, and resume CPR right after.

When to stop

Continue until one of the following happens:

The infant starts breathing normally or moves.
Trained responders take over.
The AED tells you to pause for analysis.
You are too exhausted to continue safely.

Step 7: Know What to Do for a Choking Infant and How to Get Trained

Choking and cardiac arrest call for different responses, so learn to tell them apart. A conscious infant who cannot cry, cough, or breathe is choking. The response is:

Give 5 back blows with the heel of your hand between the shoulder blades, with the baby face down along your forearm and the head lower than the chest.
Turn the baby face up and give 5 chest thrusts using two fingers, in the same location as CPR compressions.
Repeat the cycle until the object comes out or the baby becomes unresponsive.

If the infant becomes unresponsive, begin CPR from Step 1, and look in the mouth before each set of breaths. Never perform abdominal thrusts on an infant, as they can injure internal organs.

Written steps cannot teach you the feel of correct depth, the rhythm of compressions, or the seal of a mask. Practicing on an infant manikin does. Best Choice CPR offers CPR, BLS (Basic Life Support), First Aid, and AED courses for parents, caregivers, and healthcare staff.

When choosing a course, confirm that it follows current AHA or Red Cross guidelines. Certifications typically need renewal every two years, but verify the timeline with the issuing organization, since requirements can differ by course and employer.

Turning the Sequence Into a Reflex

Run through the order until it feels automatic: check, call, position, compress, breathe, repeat, and use the AED when it arrives. Say it aloud, walk through it with a partner, and rehearse where the nearest AED is kept. In an emergency, rehearsed steps hold up better than memory under stress.

Don't wait until an emergency happens. Equip yourself with life-saving CPR skills that could make all the difference when seconds count. Register for a certification class today and gain the confidence to respond when someone needs help most.