As a parent or a lifeguard, your greatest fear might be a baby drowning. It is vital to know how to save a drowning infant, check for responsiveness, and perform CPR if needed. It's also a good idea to learn how to keep babies safe around water, so you can prevent potential drownings when the infant is nearby.
Steps
Part 1
Part 1 of 2:
Responding to Infant Drowning
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Know that infants are more likely to be victims of passive drowning. There are two types of drowning: active drowning , where the victim is in distress and is struggling, and passive drowning , where the victim is unconscious and possibly submerged underwater. [1] X Research source Infants are more likely to be victims of passive drowning.
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2Recognize the signs of passive drowning.
- Head tilted back with mouth open
- Glassy eyes
- Eyes wide open or shut
- Victim near bottom of the water
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Get the infant out of the water immediately. Scoop the baby out of the water using your hands, or use any other method available to get them out of the water. Do this as quickly as possible to increase their chance of surviving. [2] X Research source
- If a head injury is suspected, put a hand under their neck in order to keep their body aligned and stable.
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Have someone call emergency services. If someone else is nearby, like a bystander or lifeguard, have them call emergency services or perform any needed medical procedures. Have them give specific details about the situation to get appropriate advice. [3] X Research source This amount of time is vital, as it can be a matter of life or death for drowning victims.
- To avoid the bystander effect, directly ask someone to call emergency services while you begin CPR on the drowning victim. [4] X Research source
- If you are alone, and the infant is unresponsive, begin CPR first. Call emergency services after two minutes of CPR.
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Check the infant for responsiveness. Checking for responsiveness should take no longer than 10 seconds. If the infant is unresponsive, begin CPR. [5] X Research source
- Tap their heel to see if they respond. [6] X Research source
- Observe their chest to see if it rises and falls (which would indicate breathing).
- Put your ear next to the infant's mouth to feel for a breath.
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Perform CPR on an unresponsive infant. If the baby isn't breathing and fails to respond to a heel tap, start CPR immediately.
- Place the infant on their backside, if they're not already. (If a head or neck injury is suspected, align the body and move it together.) [7] X Research source
- Using two fingers, deliver 30 compressions to right below the infant's breastbone. Push about one and a half inches. Don't use a full hand; infants do not need that much force.
- Allow the chest to rise in between compressions.
- Give two breaths after 30 compressions. Place your mouth over both the infant's nose and mouth, and blow the oxygen into them. Watch to see if their chest rises. Repeat the rescue breath once more.
- Do another 30 chest compressions. If the infant is still unresponsive, perform two more rescue breaths. Aim for a rate of 100-120 compressions a minute.
- Repeat the process until emergency services arrive or the infant begins to breathe.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 2:
Preventing Infant Drowning
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Practice water safety in all types of locations. By practicing water safety, you will teach your child safe protocol near water, and decrease the changes of a water accident happening. [8] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
- In residential pools, consider installing fences and alarms for added security. Block access to the pool when it isn't in use. Remove toys from the pool so an infant doesn't think to grab it out of the pool.
- In toilets and bathtubs, make sure to keep your infant under supervision at all times. A baby can drown in just an inch of water, so make sure to empty any containers holding water. Additionally, gently pour water using your hands onto the infant in order to bathe them.
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Keep aware of your surroundings. Increased awareness will allow you to spot anything suspicious looking, or somebody in a medical emergency. [9] X Research source
- To scan and observe, you must keep vigilant - especially when an infant is near water.
- Look around your surrounding every few minutes for signs of distress in swimmers.
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Tips
- Water does not need to be removed from the infant's throat in order for you to begin resuscitation.Thanks
- Learn more about performing CPR and gaining your certification on the Red Cross website.Thanks
- Teach your children water safety and how to swim to reduce the risk of drowning.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/drowning-in-children#2
- ↑ https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/drowning-in-children#2
- ↑ https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr/performing-cpr/child-baby-cpr
- ↑ https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr/performing-cpr/child-baby-cpr
- ↑ https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr/performing-cpr/child-baby-cpr
- ↑ https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr/performing-cpr/child-baby-cpr
- ↑ https://depts.washington.edu/learncpr/infantcpr.html
- ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/in-depth/child-safety/art-20044744
- ↑ https://www.ilsf.org/sites/ilsf.org/files/filefield/scanningarticlefennerandreply.pdf
- https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr/performing-cpr/child-baby-cpr
- https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/drowning-in-children#2
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/in-depth/child-safety/art-20044744
- https://depts.washington.edu/learncpr/infantcpr.html
- https://www.ilsf.org/sites/ilsf.org/files/filefield/scanningarticlefennerandreply.pdf
- https://www.whattoexpect.com/toddler/drowning
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