Video: Infant Recovery Position

We produced this short video in association with St John Ambulance to clarify the information provided in our articles. The video is free to watch - simply click the play button above.

Take a look at our article First Aid: Recovery Position for more information on this topic.

Video Transcript

My name is Moya Travis and I am a first aid trainer for St John Ambulance and today I'm working with safekids and I am going to demonstrate to you how to put an infant into the recovery position. An infant is from birth to one.

On discovering the child I would assess the situation, I would check for any dangers. The next thing I would do, is check the child:

"Hello, can you hear me? Amelphi! Open your eyes for me."

And I would flick the bottom of the foot, if that didn't work, then what I would do is give her a slight pinch, just to see if there is any reaction and if that didn't work then the next ting I am going to do is tilt the head back, open the airway and check inside. If there was anything inside, I would pick it out and remove it. If there was nothing there, then I would put two fingers under the bony part of the jaw and I would tilt the head back.

I am now going to check for breathing. I'm putting my face close to the infant, I'm listening, I'm feeling for breathing and I'm watching the chest rise and fall.

Checking for breathing should last no longer than 10 seconds.

If the child is breathing and unconscious, I may need to go and get some help. If I've got someone with me, I would ask them to go to the telephone and dial 999 indicating that we have got an infant that is unconscious and breathing, there has been no sign of an accident so we need some assistance.

While they've gone to the telephone, I will now turn the child onto its side facing me and because I am here, I would support the child in that position so it is supporting the airway, it's keeping the airway open, it's brought the tongue forward and hopefully the child will maintain the breathing.

If at any time that you had to go to the telephone yourself, what you would do is pick the child up in this position, ensuring the head is lower than the chest and walk to the telephone, with the child in this position, maintaining the airway.

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