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First aid · Australia

Child and infant CPR

For a baby or child who is unresponsive and not breathing normally, call 000 on speaker and start CPR. The rhythm is 100–120 compressions per minute, with 30 compressions and 2 breaths if trained and willing.

Medical emergency? Call 000

What to do

  1. Check airway and breathing

    Check safety and response. Open the airway and check breathing. Keep a baby’s head neutral with the jaw supported; use head tilt and chin lift for a child. Gasps are not normal breathing.

    Take care. Do not shake a baby or child.

  2. Call 000; send for an AED

    Call 000 on speakerphone and send someone for an AED. Place the baby or child on their back on a firm surface.

    Take care. Do not delay the emergency call while trying to find a perfect technique.

  3. Choose baby or child hand position

    For a baby under 1 year, use 2 fingers on the lower half of the breastbone. For a child, use the heel of 1 or 2 hands there, according to their size.

    Take care. Do not use adult assumptions when the call-taker is providing child or infant instructions.

  4. Give compressions

    Give 30 compressions at 100–120 per minute, about one-third of the chest depth: approximately 4 cm for a baby or 5 cm for a child. Allow full chest recoil.

  5. Give breaths if you can

    If trained and willing, give 2 breaths, about 1 second each, watching for chest rise. Seal over a baby’s mouth and nose; for a child, pinch the nose and seal over the mouth. Resume compressions promptly. If breaths are not possible, continue compressions.

  6. Use the AED

    Use an AED as soon as it arrives. Paediatric pads or mode are preferred under 8 years, including babies. If unavailable, use adult pads. Keep pads from touching; use front-and-back placement if needed and follow the diagrams.

  7. Keep going

    Continue until normal breathing or responsiveness returns, help takes over, you cannot continue or it becomes unsafe. Follow 000.

Know when to act

When to get help

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

Children and babies

  • Avoid tipping a baby’s head far back or pressing the soft tissue under the chin. If a neutral position does not open the airway, a very slight tilt may help.

Keep checking

  • Keep checking breathing and follow the call-taker.

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.
  • For a baby under 1 year, support the head in a neutral position and use an infant compression technique.

When help arrives

  • 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.

Other useful answers

What if I have not learnt infant CPR?

Call 000 on speaker. Start helping and follow the call-taker’s coaching.

Sources and last update

Content updated: 6 September 2026.

These sources inform the guidance. This independent resource is not a substitute for a first aid course or medical assessment. An editorial update is not independent clinical review. Source organisations have not endorsed this site.

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