how is a child defined in terms of cpr/aed care?

In CPR/AED care, a child is generally defined as a person from 1 year of age up to the onset of puberty (often around 12–14 years old).

Key definition (CPR/AED context)

• Infant: Under 1 year of age.

• Child: From 1 year old to the first clear signs of puberty (breast development, underarm hair, etc.).

• Adult: From puberty and older.

This definition matters because CPR techniques and AED pad type/energy settings differ between infants, children, and adults to avoid injury and maximize effectiveness.

Quick practical takeaway

• If the victim looks older than a toddler but has not clearly reached puberty, treat them as a child for CPR/AED.

• Use pediatric AED pads or child setting for children (commonly recommended for ages 1–8, or by size/weight if stated on the device).

Simple example

If you find an unresponsive 6-year-old who is not breathing normally, you would:

• Consider them a child for CPR.

• Use child CPR compression depth (about one-third of the chest, roughly 2 inches) and pediatric AED pads if available.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.