Infant chest compressions depth: how far should you depress the chest?

• A. About 1/3 chest depth
• B. About 1/4 chest depth
• C. About 1/2 chest depth
• D. Full chest depth

Answer: (A)

Infant chest compressions should depress the chest about one third of its depth. This depth, roughly 4 cm (about 1.5 inches) in an infant, provides enough blood flow to support circulation while minimizing the risk of injury to the soft, smaller chest. Use the appropriate technique (two fingers for a single rescuer, or encircling hands with thumbs in the center for two rescuers) and allow complete chest recoil between compressions. Compressing about a quarter of the chest is typically too shallow to generate adequate perfusion, while about half or more increases the risk of injury in infants.