If your baby stops breathing, call 911 immediately and begin infant CPR. Every second matters. If someone else is nearby, have them call 911 while you start CPR right away. If you’re alone, perform CPR for about 2 minutes first, then call 911 and continue.
The core rule is simple: unresponsive plus no breathing (or only gasping) means start CPR. Below is exactly what to do, step by step, along with how to recognize a true emergency versus normal newborn breathing patterns.
Step-by-Step Infant CPR
Before touching your baby, take one second to make sure the area around you is safe. Then tap the bottom of your baby’s foot and shout their name. If there’s no response and they aren’t breathing normally, begin CPR immediately.
Chest Compressions
Place your baby on a firm, flat surface. Put two fingers on the center of the breastbone, just below the nipple line. Push down about one-third the depth of the chest, which is roughly 1.5 inches in most infants. Press hard and fast at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. That’s almost two pushes per second. Let the chest come all the way back up between each compression.
Rescue Breaths
After every 30 compressions, give 2 rescue breaths. Tilt the baby’s head back gently by lifting the chin with one hand while pushing the forehead down with the other. This opens the airway. Cover both the baby’s mouth and nose with your mouth to form a tight seal. If your mouth can’t cover both, seal over the nose and hold the mouth closed. Each breath should last about one second and be just enough to make the chest visibly rise. Don’t blow too hard.
Continue the cycle of 30 compressions and 2 breaths. If you’re alone, do this for about 2 minutes before pausing to call 911. Then get right back to CPR and don’t stop until emergency responders arrive, the baby starts breathing on their own, or you’re physically unable to continue.
If Your Baby Is Choking
A baby who is choking on something looks different from one who has simply stopped breathing. They may be gagging, coughing weakly, making high-pitched sounds, or going silent while appearing distressed. If a blockage in the airway is the problem, CPR alone won’t fix it. You need to dislodge the object first.
Lay the baby face down along your forearm, using your thigh for support. Hold their chest in your hand and support the jaw with your fingers, pointing the head downward so it’s lower than the body. With the heel of your free hand, deliver up to 5 firm blows between the shoulder blades.
If nothing comes out, flip the baby face up on your forearm (still supported on your thigh). Place the heel of one hand on the center of the breastbone just below the nipple line and give up to 5 quick chest thrusts. Alternate between 5 back blows and 5 chest thrusts until the object comes out or the baby loses consciousness. If the baby goes limp and unresponsive, switch to standard CPR as described above and call 911 if you haven’t already.
When Pauses in Breathing Are Normal
Not every breathing pause is an emergency. Newborns commonly have what’s called periodic breathing, where they pause for a few seconds, take several rapid breaths, then pause again. This uneven pattern is a normal part of an immature respiratory system and tends to happen most during sleep.
The line between normal and dangerous is clear: a pause lasting longer than 10 seconds is not normal. You should also treat it as an emergency if your baby’s skin or lips change color, or if you can’t wake them. In babies with lighter skin, low oxygen turns the skin or lips blue or purple. In babies with darker skin, the color change may look gray, yellow-gray, or white. Any of these color changes alongside a breathing pause means call 911 right away.
Common Reasons a Baby Might Stop Breathing
Choking on milk, mucus, or a small object is one of the most common causes in otherwise healthy babies. Infections like RSV, bronchiolitis, or whooping cough can cause the airways to swell or fill with mucus to the point where a baby temporarily stops breathing. Premature infants are at higher risk because their brains and lungs are still developing the automatic signals that keep breathing regular. Some premature babies lack a substance in their lungs called surfactant, which keeps the tiny air sacs open. Without it, the lungs can partially collapse, making each breath a struggle.
Less commonly, seizures, heart rhythm problems, or severe reflux can trigger a breathing pause. Sleep position also plays a role. Babies placed face-down on soft bedding are at significantly higher risk of suffocation, which is why safe sleep guidelines recommend a firm, flat surface with nothing else in the crib.
What Happens at the Hospital
After any episode where a baby stops breathing, even if they recover quickly on their own, a hospital evaluation is important. What doctors do depends on how the baby looks when they arrive and what led up to the episode.
At minimum, your baby will be placed on monitors that continuously track heart rate and blood oxygen levels. If the episode was brief and the baby appears completely normal afterward, doctors may classify it as a Brief Resolved Unexplained Event (BRUE). For low-risk cases, no lab work or imaging may be needed, just a period of observation.
If the episode was longer, repeated, or the baby still seems off, the workup goes deeper. Blood tests can check for infection, low blood sugar, or electrolyte problems. An EKG checks for heart rhythm abnormalities. Imaging of the brain or lungs is reserved for cases where the physical exam or history suggests something specific, like a seizure or pneumonia. The goal is to identify a treatable cause and, if one is found, prevent it from happening again.
For premature infants or babies with recurring episodes, doctors may send the baby home with a portable monitor that sounds an alarm if breathing pauses or heart rate drops. Most babies outgrow these episodes as their nervous system matures, but the monitoring provides a safety net in the meantime.