What is the correct technique for giving rescue breaths to a child?

The technique for giving rescue breaths to a child involves pinching the nostrils closed, sealing your lips around the child’s mouth, and delivering two gentle breaths. This method is effective because pinching the nostrils prevents air from escaping through the nose, ensuring that the breath you deliver goes directly into the lungs. Sealing the mouth creates a proper barrier, allowing for effective ventilation.

The breaths should be given slowly and should be just enough to make the chest rise, which indicates that air is entering the lungs. This prevents the delivery of excessive air, reducing the risk of causing harm or discomfort to the child. In addition, delivering a high volume of air too rapidly could lead to complications such as gastric inflation.

Other techniques mentioned would not allow for efficient delivery of breath. For instance, completely sealing the nose and mouth would not allow for adequate release of air, and blowing into the nose while sealing the mouth does not provide a direct pathway for air to enter the lungs, making it ineffective. Rapid breaths without sealing the mouth would result in significant air loss and would not be effective in providing necessary oxygen to the child.