On an infant you check the brachial pulse on the inside of the upper arm of the infant and not the carotid artery in the infants neck.
The reason why you check the infants brachial pulse on the inside of the upper arm is because infants have short and plump necks, which makes their carotid artery very hard to find and pressing on an infant's neck can also block their tiny airway accidentally.
The infants brachial artery also sits on the inside of their upper arm, between their elbow and their shoulder.
To check the infants brachial pulse, place two fingers on the inside of the infants upper arm, then press gently against the bone to feel for the pulse.
And look at your watch and count the beats for 5 to 10 seconds.
If CPR on an infant is needed, you should start or begin CPR on an infant if you're able to arouse the infant, and there's no obvious signs of life like crying and/or spontaneously moving.
CPR on an infant is done differently than it is on a toddler or baby 1 or older and is also different than the CPR used on older kids, teens and adults.
When performing CPR on an infant, for the compression depth, you press down about 1.5 inches, which is around one-third the depth of the chest.
Use two fingers in the center of the infants chest for a single rescuer, or the two thumb encircling hands technique if 2 people are performing the CPR on the infant.
And cover both the mouth and the nose of the infant with your mouth when giving rescue breaths and be sure to call 911 to get emergency services on the way as well.
If you can do so, call 911 and get your phone on speakerphone or if someone else is available have them call 911, while you're doing the CPR as the seconds count.
You can and should perform CPR on an infant even as early as age 3 or younger, if they are unresponsive and not breathing normally.
Use two fingers in the center of the chest just below the nipple line, compress about 1.5 inches deep (one-third the depth of the chest) at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute, and cover both the nose and mouth with your mouth for gentle rescue breaths.
Steps for Infant CPR include:
Check response: Tap the bottom of the baby's foot or gently flick/tap their shoulder and shout to see if they respond.
Call for help: If alone and unresponsive, give 2 minutes (about 5 cycles) of CPR before calling emergency services if your phone is not nearby, or call immediately if another person is present.
Place flat: Put the baby on a firm, flat surface.
Compressions: Place two fingers in the center of the chest just below the nipple line. Push down hard and fast (1.5 inches deep) 30 times.
Open airway: Tilt the head back slightly to a neutral position (do not over-tilt).
Rescue breaths: Cover the baby's mouth and nose completely with your mouth.
Blow gently for 1 second until you see the chest rise.
Give 2 breaths.
Repeat: Continue with cycles of 30 compressions and 2 breaths until help arrives or the baby wakes up.