For purposes of CPR/AED, a child is defined as someone between which ages?
For CPR/AED, a child is someone from 1 year old up to the onset of puberty (roughly 12-14, judged by physical signs like underarm or chest hair or breast development). Below 1 year is an infant; at puberty and beyond, use adult techniques.
The answer
For the purposes of CPR and AED use, a child is defined as someone from 1 year of age up to the onset of puberty. Puberty is judged by physical signs, not an exact birthday: for males, underarm or chest hair; for females, breast development. This typically falls somewhere around 12 to 14 years, but rescuers use the visible signs of puberty as the cutoff rather than a fixed age. Below 1 year (excluding newborns at birth) the person is an infant; once signs of puberty appear, the person is treated as an adult.
This three-tier system, infant, child, adult, comes from the American Heart Association and American Red Cross guidelines. The reason the boundary is defined by puberty rather than a precise age is that body size and physiology change dramatically around that point, and the technique should match the patient's physical development, not a number on an ID.
Why the age bands matter
The age category determines how you perform CPR, which is why exams stress it:
- Infant (under 1 year): Compressions with two fingers (or two thumbs encircling the chest) about 1.5 inches deep; check the brachial pulse; deliver rescue breaths covering mouth and nose.
- Child (1 year to puberty): Compressions with one or two hands (depending on the child's size) about 2 inches deep, or one-third the depth of the chest; check the carotid or femoral pulse.
- Adult (puberty and older): Two-hand compressions at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep but no more than 2.4 inches; check the carotid pulse.
Compression rate is the same across all ages: 100-120 per minute, allowing full chest recoil each time.
AED pads: the practical difference
AED choice also depends on the category. For a child aged 1 to 8 (or under about 55 lbs), use pediatric (child) pads or a pediatric setting if available, because they deliver a reduced energy dose. If pediatric pads are not available, use adult pads, an adult AED is always better than no defibrillation. Ensure the pads do not touch each other; on a small chest you may place one on the front and one on the back. For infants, a manual defibrillator is preferred, but an AED with a pediatric attenuator can be used if that is all you have. For anyone who has reached puberty, use standard adult pads and settings.
So the clean summary: infant = under 1 year; child = 1 year to the onset of puberty; adult = puberty onward. Judge puberty by physical signs, and let the category guide compression depth, hand technique, pulse check, and AED pad selection.
| Infant | Under 1 year | 2 fingers or 2-thumb encircling | ~1.5 in | Manual/pediatric preferred |
| Child | 1 yr to onset of puberty | 1 or 2 hands | ~2 in (1/3 chest) | Pediatric pads; adult if none |
| Adult | Puberty and older | 2 hands | 2-2.4 in | Adult pads |
Frequently asked
At what age does CPR switch from child to adult?
CPR switches from child to adult at the onset of puberty, not a fixed birthday. Signs include underarm or chest hair in males and breast development in females, usually around 12-14 years. From that point, use adult technique and adult AED pads.
How do you know a child has reached puberty for CPR purposes?
Look for physical signs rather than counting years: chest or underarm hair in males, and breast development in females. If those signs are present, treat the patient as an adult; if not, use child CPR.
What is the difference between child and infant CPR?
An infant is under 1 year and receives two-finger (or two-thumb) compressions about 1.5 inches deep with a brachial pulse check. A child (1 year to puberty) gets one- or two-hand compressions about 2 inches deep with a carotid or femoral pulse check.
Do you use adult AED pads on a child?
Use pediatric pads or a pediatric setting for a child aged 1 to 8 or under about 55 lbs if available. If only adult pads are available, use them, keeping the pads from touching, since defibrillation is better than none.
How is an infant defined in CPR/AED care?
An infant is a patient under 1 year of age (excluding newborns at the moment of birth). Infants receive specialized compression techniques and, ideally, a manual defibrillator or an AED with a pediatric attenuator.