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When baby won’t wake up

If baby doesn’t wake up from your touch – act fast and keep calm. Emergency!

Call 000 for an ambulance. The 000 operator will tell you what to do. The operator will stay on the line.

Start checks on baby while waiting for ambulance. Look in baby’s mouth and remove any blockage.

Is baby breathing?

Check if baby is breathing. Look for chest moving, listen for breathing, feel for baby’s breath.

If baby is breathing but not waking, put baby over your arm, face down.

Stay with baby until medical help arrives. Stay calm.

If baby is not breathing

Look in baby’s mouth and remove any blockage.

If baby is not breathing, place baby on a hard surface on their back, face up. Put two fingertips between baby’s nipples. Give 30 firm chest pushes. Do two pushes per second.

Fill your cheeks with air. Put your lips around baby’s mouth and nose. Do a gentle and steady air puff for one second. Do this again.

If baby is still not breathing, keep doing 30 firm chest pushes and 2 gentle air puffs until baby starts breathing or medical help arrives. Keep checking to see if baby is breathing.

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Raising Children Network is supported by the Australian Government. Member organisations are the Parenting Research Centre and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute with The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health.

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