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Emergencies - CPR For Children Over 12 Months

Tamariki (children) who are not responding and not breathing normally need CPR.

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For free medical advice call Healthline 0800 611 116. Healthline provides a 24 hour, 7 days a week, over-the-phone health service. For emergencies call 111.

Learn CPR before you need it. See below for links to CPR courses.

This page talks you through CPR for children over 12 months. See the page on CPR for babies under 12 months to learn the steps for babies.

Emergencies - CPR For Babies Under 12 Months

How to do CPR for children over 12 months

Dangers

Check for any danger to you, the child, or people nearby. Do what you can to reduce the danger.

A woman kneels beside a child lying on their back and holds out one hand as she checks the area around them.

Response

Check the child for a response. Talk loudly and squeeze the child's shoulder firmly. See if the child responds.

Send for help

Call 111 (in New Zealand) and ask for urgent medical help.

A woman kneels beside a child lying on their back and speaks into a phone showing a call to 111.

Airway

Tilt the child's head back and lift their chin. This will help open their airway.

If there’s anything obvious in the mouth, like food, use a finger to sweep it out.

A woman supports a child’s forehead with one hand and lifts the child’s chin with two fingers.

Breathing

Check for breathing. Listen and feel for air coming out of their mouth or nose.

If you are worried the child is not breathing - start CPR.

A woman leans close to a child’s face to check and feel for breathing while keeping one hand on the child’s forehead.

CPR

Put the child on their back, on a firm surface.

Place the heel of one hand in the centre of the child's chest just below the nipple line.

Start chest compressions at a rate of 100 per minute.

Once you have completed 30 compressions, pinch the child's nostrils and give 2 breaths into their mouth.

Keep giving 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths until help arrives.

Two pictures show a woman giving a child CPR. In one, her mouth covers the child’s mouth and she holds their nose to give a breath. In the other, she places the heel of her palm in the centre of the child’s chest to give compressions.

Defibrillator

If there is an AED nearby, attach it to the child as soon as possible. Turn it on and follow the instructions on the AED. The defibrillator will talk to you.

Return to CPR (step 6) and keep going until the child starts breathing normally, or help arrives.

A woman places an AED pad on a child’s bare chest. The AED is beside them, with a cable connecting it to the pad.

Dr Tony Smith, St John medical director, demonstrates how to perform CPR and use an AED on tamariki.
Source: Hato Hone | St John

More information and courses

Learn how to do CPR (rescue breathing and chest compressions).

Book first aid courses at Hato Hone St John

See all first aid courses run by NZ Red Cross

AED Locations New Zealand

AED Locations maps publicly available AEDs across Aotearoa New Zealand. Use the website to find AEDs near you and become familiar with where they are before an emergency happens.

Visit the website

Acknowledgements

Illustrations by Dr Greta File. Property of KidsHealth.

References