First Aid and CPR/AED Level C Practice Exam

During pediatric CPR, aim to depress the chest about one-third to one-half of its depth. This range provides enough force to move blood with each compression while keeping the chest from being driven in too far, which could injure ribs or internal organs. Children have smaller, more compliant chests, so using a depth of roughly one-third to one-half of chest depth helps generate effective perfusion without unnecessary harm. If you only compress a quarter of the chest, blood flow may be insufficient; pushing toward two-thirds or more increases injury risk without clear additional benefit in many pediatric cases. The idea is to compress enough to move blood but not so deep that it compromises safety.