How Do You Give Breaths to a Child?

To give breaths to a child, you should blow a breath steadily into the child's mouth and nose over 1 second.

Steps for Providing Breaths

Here is a detailed guide on how to administer breaths to a child who is not breathing:

Position the Child: Ensure the child is lying on their back on a firm, flat surface.
Open the Airway: Gently tilt the child's head back and lift their chin. This helps to open the airway.
Seal Your Mouth Over: Cover both the child's mouth and nose with your mouth to create a tight seal.
Give the Breath:
- Blow a breath into the child's mouth and nose over 1 second.
- Ensure the breath is sufficient to make the child's chest visibly rise.
Remove Your Mouth and Watch:
- Take your mouth away from the child's face.
- Watch for the chest to fall as air comes out.
Repeat: Give another breath and repeat this sequence four more times.
- This will give a total of 5 initial rescue breaths.

Chest Rise: The key indicator of successful breaths is a visible rise in the child’s chest. If you don’t see the chest rise, double-check that the airway is open and try again.
Duration: The breaths should be delivered over 1 second. Avoid forceful or fast breaths.
Breathing Rate: After initial rescue breaths, if you're providing breaths during CPR, a rate of approximately one breath every 3 seconds is a general guide.
Child vs Infant: The technique may vary slightly for an infant, where the breaths are gentler and only cover the infant's mouth and nose.

Step	Action	Details
1	Position the Child	Lay the child flat on their back.
2	Open the Airway	Tilt the head back, lift the chin.
3	Create a Seal	Cover mouth and nose with your mouth.
4	Deliver Breath	Blow steadily over 1 second, until the chest rises.
5	Check the Outcome	Remove mouth and check for the chest to fall.
6	Repeat Breaths	Repeat the breath over 1 second four more times.

This procedure ensures the child receives adequate oxygen until professional medical help arrives.