For adults, chest compressions go on the lower half of the breastbone (sternum), roughly centered between the nipples. This location applies whether you’re performing CPR on a stranger, a family member, or anyone in cardiac arrest. The exact technique changes depending on the person’s age, but the target is always the breastbone, never off to one side of the chest or down on the stomach.
Compression Location for Adults
The American Heart Association recommends compressing over the lower half of the sternum. Your sternum is the flat bone running vertically down the center of your chest, connecting your ribs. The lower half of that bone sits roughly between and just below the nipples. At the very bottom of the sternum is a small pointed piece of cartilage called the xiphoid process. You want to stay above it.
To find the right spot, place the heel of one hand on the center of the chest, on the lower half of the breastbone. Then place your other hand directly on top and interlace your fingers. Pull your fingers upward so they don’t press against the ribs. Only the heel of your bottom hand should contact the chest. This keeps the force concentrated on the sternum, where it can most effectively compress the heart underneath.
Push straight down at least 2 inches deep (but no more than 2.4 inches) at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. That pace is roughly the tempo of the song “Stayin’ Alive.” The 2025 AHA guidelines confirm that adults with obesity should receive compressions using the same technique and location as anyone else.
Why Placement Matters
Pressing too low risks compressing the xiphoid process or the soft area of the upper abdomen (the epigastric region), which can injure the liver, stomach, or spleen instead of effectively pumping the heart. Research using the nipple line as a landmark found that the rescuer’s hands ended up over the xiphoid process in nearly half of patients studied. The risk was highest when a male rescuer performed CPR on an older or shorter woman, where hand placement tended to drift too far down. This doesn’t mean the nipple line is useless as a quick reference, but it’s better to feel for the center of the breastbone and position your hands on its lower half rather than relying on any single visual landmark.
Pressing too high, toward the collarbones, moves the force away from the heart’s pumping chambers and reduces effectiveness. Pressing off-center, over the ribs, increases the chance of rib fractures without improving blood flow.
Compression Location for Children (Ages 1 to 8)
For children, the compression site is the same general area: the breastbone, just below the nipple line. Place the heel of one hand on the breastbone, making sure you’re not at the very bottom tip. Your other hand can stay on the child’s forehead to keep the airway tilted open. Press down about one-third to one-half the depth of the child’s chest, and give 30 compressions before two rescue breaths if you’re trained in full CPR.
For a larger child, you can use two hands stacked together, just like the adult technique. For a smaller child, one hand is usually sufficient to reach the proper depth.
Compression Location for Infants
For infants under one year old, compressions go on the center of the chest, on the sternum, just below the nipple line. Push down about 1.5 inches, which is roughly one-third the depth of the infant’s chest. Give 30 compressions, then two gentle breaths.
The 2025 AHA guidelines introduced a significant change for infant CPR. The old two-finger technique (pressing with your index and middle finger) is no longer recommended. Instead, rescuers should use the heel of one hand or the two-thumb encircling technique, where you wrap both hands around the infant’s torso and press on the sternum with both thumbs. If the infant is too large for your hands to encircle the chest, use the heel of one hand.
Newborns Are Slightly Different
For newborn infants (the first minutes and hours of life), the 2025 guidelines specify compressing over the lower third of the sternum, taking care to stay above the xiphoid process. This is a slightly more precise location than for older infants, reflecting the newborn’s smaller anatomy. In practice, this distinction matters most for healthcare providers in delivery settings, but it’s worth knowing if you’re a new parent learning infant CPR.
Let the Chest Come Back Up
Where you place your hands is only half the equation. Between each compression, you need to let the chest fully rise back to its resting position before pushing down again. This is called full chest recoil, and it’s critical because the upward movement creates a slight vacuum inside the chest cavity that pulls blood back into the heart. Without that refill, the next compression pumps less blood.
Research in animal models showed that even leaning on the chest with just 10% of compression force between pushes was enough to reduce blood flow to the heart muscle. At 20% lean, the drop was even more substantial, with coronary blood flow falling significantly. The takeaway: lift your weight completely off the chest between compressions. Don’t hover with pressure. Lock your elbows, use your body weight to compress, and then fully release. Think of it as a piston motion, straight down and fully back up, with equal time spent in each phase.
Positioning Your Body
Kneel beside the person so your shoulders are directly over their chest. Keep your arms straight and your elbows locked. The force should come from your core and upper body rocking forward, not from bending your arms. This helps you maintain the right depth and pace without tiring out as quickly. If you’re on a bed, the mattress will absorb some of your force, so move the person to a firm, flat surface like the floor whenever possible.
If you’re alone and untrained in rescue breathing, hands-only CPR (continuous compressions without breaths) at the correct location and rate is effective for adults in sudden cardiac arrest. Keep pushing until emergency services arrive or an AED is available. Compressions in the right spot, at the right depth, at the right speed, with full recoil between each one, give the person the best possible chance.