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+First Aid Pocket GuideAustralian quick-reference

First-aid guides Child and infant CPR

Australian quick reference

Child and infant CPR

What changes when the person needing CPR is a child or baby.

Serious or worsening symptoms? Call Triple Zero (000).

The short answer

Call 000, start CPR using the child or infant instructions from the call-taker and use an AED with paediatric settings or pads when available.

Use the age-appropriate branch

Baby or child? Start with 000.

If this is happening now, call Triple Zero (000), use speakerphone and follow the call-taker. The guide below is a memory aid, not a substitute for live instructions.

Child and infant CPR age and equipment decisions
What appliesDo next
Infant under 1 yearUse the call-taker's infant instructions. If trained and willing, use 2 fingers on the lower half of the breastbone, compress about one-third of the chest and give 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths.
Child over 1 yearUse the child or older-child instructions from 000. If trained and willing, give 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths; use enough force to compress about one-third of the chest.
Rescue breaths are not possibleStart or continue chest compressions and follow 000. Do not delay CPR while trying to remember a perfect technique.
AED arrivesFollow the device and call-taker. Use paediatric pads or a child setting when available for a child; do not use an AED on an infant under 1 year unless directed by emergency professionals.

Four things to remember

See the next decision

These visual cues are a memory aid. In a real emergency, call Triple Zero (000) and follow the call-taker's instructions.

DO THIS FIRSTStart here

Call 000 and use speakerphone.

RECOGNISELook for this

The baby or child does not respond to your voice or gentle touch.

DO NOTAvoid this

Do not shake a baby or child.

CALL 000Escalate when needed

Any child or infant who is unresponsive and not breathing normally requires immediate 000 assistance.

Illustrated field notes

These original illustrations support recall. They are not a substitute for the written steps, a current first-aid course or the Triple Zero (000) call-taker.

Visual memory cue

See the pattern before you practise

Use this simple visual reminder alongside the written steps. In a real emergency, call Triple Zero (000) and follow the call-taker's instructions.

Child and infant CPR visual cue Two simplified panels show two-finger compression on an infant and hand placement in the centre of a child's chest. Infant under 1 2 fingers · lower breastbone Child over 1 Centre of chest · follow 000
Use the age-appropriate technique: two fingers for an infant, or the centre-of-chest hand position for a child. Call 000 and follow the instructions.

01

What to do first

  • Call 000 and use speakerphone.
  • Check response and normal breathing.
  • Start CPR using the technique the call-taker describes for the child or infant.
  • Use an AED as soon as available and follow its prompts.
  • Continue until help takes over or the person shows signs of life.

02

What to avoid

  • Do not shake a baby or child.
  • Do not delay the emergency call while trying to find a perfect technique.
  • Do not use adult assumptions when the call-taker is providing child or infant instructions.

03

When to call 000

  • Any child or infant who is unresponsive and not breathing normally requires immediate 000 assistance.

04

What to monitor

  • Keep checking breathing and follow the call-taker.

Recognition cues

What you may notice

  • The baby or child does not respond to your voice or gentle touch.
  • They are not breathing normally or are making abnormal gasps.
  • An infant under 1 year needs a different airway, compression and AED boundary from an older child.

Avoid these traps

Common mistakes

  • Delaying the 000 call while trying to remember a perfect technique.
  • Shaking a baby or child to try to wake them.
  • Using a forceful adult head tilt on an infant or assuming adult AED guidance applies unchanged.
Children and babies

The child or infant instructions differ from adults. Use the 000 call-taker and AED prompts.

When help is on the way

Keep the handover useful

  • Keep the phone on speaker and follow the Australian call-taker step by step.
  • Tell ambulance staff the child or infant age, what happened and how long CPR was given.

Practise the pattern

Make it easier to remember

AED pad-placement trainer

Common questions

Quick answers

Can an AED be used on a child?

Yes. Use paediatric pads or settings when available and follow the AED instructions.

What if I am not trained in child or infant CPR?

Call 000, use speakerphone and follow the call-taker instructions. Start the next action they give you without delay.

How do infant compressions differ?

For an infant under 1 year, use the call-taker instructions; the usual trained technique uses 2 fingers on the lower half of the breastbone and only a slight head tilt.

Can an AED be used on a child?

Follow the AED and 000 instructions. Use paediatric pads or a child setting when available; Healthdirect advises not using an AED on a child under 1 year.

References and update notesAugust 2026

Clarified infant versus child technique boundaries, infant airway positioning, call-taker use and paediatric AED prompts without substituting a text guide for live instructions.