No parent wants to think about emergencies — but knowing what to do in the crucial first minutes is genuinely life-saving. This is a guide to the essentials, but please do a hands-on first aid course. Reading is not the same as practising on a model.
Infant CPR (for babies under 1 year)
Call 999 before starting CPR if you have help — otherwise, perform CPR for 1 minute then call.
Check for response
- Tap the foot gently. Call baby's name. Do NOT shake.
- If no response — shout for help and call 999.
Open the airway
- Place baby on their back on a firm surface
- Gently tilt the head back and lift the chin — only a slight tilt for infants (neutral position), not as far back as for an adult
- Look, listen, and feel for normal breathing for up to 10 seconds
If not breathing: 5 rescue breaths
- Cover both the mouth AND nose with your mouth (baby's face is small)
- Give 5 gentle puffs — just enough to see the chest rise. Don't over-inflate.
- If chest doesn't rise, re-check head tilt and chin lift
30 chest compressions
- Find the centre of the chest (just below the nipple line)
- Use two fingers (index and middle) on the centre of the chest
- Press down about 4cm (roughly one-third the depth of the chest)
- 30 compressions at a rate of 100–120 per minute (to the beat of "Baby Shark" works)
Continue: 30 compressions, 2 breaths
- Continue this cycle until: baby starts breathing, help arrives, or you're too exhausted to continue
Infant choking
If baby can cough, cry, or breathe:
Encourage coughing — this is the most effective way to clear an airway. Do not intervene physically; just watch and encourage.
If baby cannot cough, cry, or breathe (silent, going red/blue):
Step 1: 5 back blows
- Hold baby face-down along your forearm, head lower than body
- Support the head and jaw (not the throat)
- Give 5 firm blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand
Step 2: 5 chest thrusts
- Turn baby face-up on your forearm
- Two fingers on the centre of the chest (just below nipple line)
- 5 sharp thrusts (similar position to CPR but sharper, more deliberate — 1 per second)
Check the mouth: Only remove an object you can clearly see. Never do a blind finger sweep — this can push the object deeper.
Repeat: Alternate 5 back blows and 5 chest thrusts until the object is dislodged or baby becomes unresponsive.
If baby becomes unresponsive: Call 999 and begin CPR.
After a choking episode:
Even if baby seems fine, take them to A&E — there may be internal injury or a fragment remaining.
Febrile seizures (fits with fever)
What they look like: Baby stiffens, shakes or twitches, eyes roll, may lose consciousness. Caused by rapid rise in temperature — not the height of fever.
During a seizure:
- Stay calm
- Place baby on their side (recovery position) on a safe surface — prevent injury from falls
- Do not restrain, put anything in the mouth, or try to stop the movement
- Time the seizure
- Call 999 if: it's their first seizure, lasts more than 5 minutes, or they don't recover quickly
After the seizure:
Most febrile seizures last under 5 minutes. The child will typically be confused and sleepy afterwards — this is normal. Seek medical assessment even if they seem recovered.
- Not breathing or struggling to breathe
- Lips or skin turning blue
- Unresponsive — won't wake up
- A fit (seizure) that lasts more than 5 minutes or if it's a first seizure
- Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) — struggling to breathe, face swelling dramatically, collapse
- A burn covering a large area or affecting face, hands, or genitals
- You instinctively feel something is seriously wrong
When to go to A&E urgently
- High fever in a baby under 3 months (38°C+) — always needs urgent assessment
- Rash that doesn't fade under a glass (potential meningococcal disease)
- Choking, even if resolved
- Head injury with loss of consciousness, even briefly
- Sudden unusual behaviour, floppy baby, or unresponsive episode
- Swallowed something (batteries, magnets, sharp objects — always A&E)
The non-blanching rash test
Press a clear glass firmly against a red or purple rash. If the rash does not fade (you can still see the spots through the glass), this is potentially serious — especially combined with fever, stiff neck, light sensitivity, or general illness. Call 999. This is the key meningitis warning sign.
Take a course
Reading about first aid is not the same as doing it. First aid courses for parents and carers:
- British Red Cross: baby and child first aid courses, including free online content
- St John Ambulance: baby and child first aid courses nationwide
- Infant and Child First Aid apps: British Red Cross has a free app with guided instructions and video
Many NCT branches offer first aid sessions. Your children's centre or GP surgery may also run them. This is one of the most worthwhile things you can do as a new parent.
