Despite careful monitoring, a baby may stop breathing for various reasons, such as a blocked airway or vomiting while lying on their back. Risks are higher with conditions like viral illnesses, fevers, convulsions, and obstructive bronchitis. Extra caution is necessary for children with perinatal risks, premature infants, and those with sleep apnea. Should the Nanny monitor sound an alarm, proceed as follows:
First steps
- Check Consciousness: Call out to the baby loudly.
- Stimulate Response: Gently scratch or pat the sole of their foot.
- Further Stimulation: Rub the baby’s back with the palm of your hand.
- Assess Response: If there is no reaction to these actions, the baby is likely unconscious.
- Emergency Actions:
- If someone is with you, have them call the national emergency number (112 in Europe), while you start resuscitation.
- If you’re alone, begin resuscitation immediately. If after 60 seconds the baby is still not breathing, call for an ambulance, then continue with resuscitation efforts.”
This approach ensures that you can respond swiftly and effectively in case of an emergency, potentially saving your baby’s life.
Remove the baby from the cot and place them on a flat, firm surface. Performing any indirect cardiac massage while the baby is still in the cot would be ineffective, as the soft mattress would absorb the pressure instead of transferring it to the baby’s body.
Free Airwaves
Position the baby’s head in a neutral alignment. For children over 1 year, gently tilt the head back and remove any visible obstructions from the airway. However, avoid blindly searching the mouth for blockages!
Ensure Breathing
- Check to see if the baby has resumed breathing by listening closely or watching for chest movements.
- If the baby isn’t breathing, start mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
- Place one hand on the baby’s forehead and the other gently under the chin, tilting the head slightly back. Seal your mouth over the baby’s mouth and nose.
- Deliver five rescue breaths.
- Observe the rise and fall of the baby’s chest—this indicates effective breaths.
- The chest movement should mimic natural breathing. Ensure you do not give too shallow breaths (where the chest doesn’t move) or too forceful breaths (avoid blowing against strong resistance).
Ensure Blood Circulation
- If the newborn is not breathing naturally and shows no movement after five rescue breaths, begin indirect cardiac massage.
- Position the tips of your index and middle fingers about 1.5 cm below the line that connects the nipples, at the end of the sternum.
- Compress the chest approximately 2-3 cm deep (about one-third of its front-to-back size) 15 times.
- Perform compressions at a rate of about 2 per second, syncing with the rhythm of songs like “Jingle Bells” or “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees.
- After 15 compressions, give 2 rescue breaths, ensuring each breath inflates the chest visibly.
- Then repeat the sequence—15 compressions followed by 2 breaths.
- Continue CPR until the ambulance arrives.
Call The Emergency
After 1 minute, call emergency services if another rescuer has not already done so.
After dialing 112, place the phone on speaker mode next to the child’s head. Remain calm and avoid wasting time. Continue repeating the first aid procedure—15 chest compressions followed by 2 breaths—as you make the call. Then, follow the instructions given by the emergency operator.
Going Further
To further reduce risks and enhance ability to provide prompt first aid, advanced breathing monitors can be indispensable. These devices are designed to alert you immediately if it detects that a newborn has stopped breathing. Specifically, if no breathing is detected for 20 seconds, the Nanny Bebés BM03 issues an urgent alarm. This early warning gives caregivers the critical time needed to respond swiftly, potentially performing life-saving interventions. By using such advanced monitoring technology, parents and caregivers can be more proactive and responsive, ensuring the highest level of safety for the newborn.
