How often should rescue breaths be delivered to an infant during CPR?

During CPR for an infant, rescue breaths should be delivered every 3-5 seconds. This timing allows for an appropriate balance between providing sufficient breaths to ensure adequate oxygenation and giving the heart time to circulate that oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. The recommendation to wait 3-5 seconds is rooted in the physiological needs of infants, who require more frequent breaths due to their smaller lung capacities and higher metabolic rates compared to adults.

In the context of performing CPR, it’s essential that rescuers maintain a rhythmic approach, ensuring that the breaths are effective and maintaining a consistent pattern. Each rescue breath should be given over about 1 second, which will help to inflate the lungs adequately while minimizing the risk of air entering the stomach, which can lead to complications such as vomiting.

Understanding this timing is crucial not only for effectively managing the infant's respiratory failure but also for maximizing the chances of a successful resuscitation outcome.