"A" is for AIRWAY. It is normal for an infant to take shallow and rapid breaths, so carefully look, listen and feel for breathing. If you cannot detect any signs of breathing, the tongue may be obstructing the infant's airway.
Although the head tilt/chin lift technique is similar to adults and children, when clearing an infant's airway it's important not to tilt the head too far back. An infant's airway is extremely narrow and overextending the neck may actually close off the air passage.
Tilt the head back into what is called the "sniffer's position" - far enough to make the infant look as if he is sniffing (Figure 1).
If the victim is still not breathing on his own, you will have to assist him Breathing
Infant CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) involves providing breaths and compressions to an infant who has stopped breathing or has no pulse. When performing CPR on an infant, it's important to prioritize airway management. Here are the steps for infant CPR with an emphasis on airway management:
Note: It is recommended that individuals take a CPR certification course to learn proper techniques and practice hands-on skills.