A 34-year-old pregnant female delivers a baby in the bathroom and the newborn is cyanotic and limp. What should you do first?

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Multiple Choice

A 34-year-old pregnant female delivers a baby in the bathroom and the newborn is cyanotic and limp. What should you do first?

When a newborn is cyanotic and limp, the priority is to restore circulation. A limp, cyanotic baby with suspected absent perfusion likely has little or no heartbeat, so immediate chest compressions are indicated to generate perfusion to vital organs while ventilation is provided. You don’t delay CPR while you clear the airway or warm the infant, though those steps are supportive and should be done quickly as part of resuscitation. Cutting the umbilical cord or delivering the placenta isn’t the immediate action needed when circulation isn’t present. In short, the first action is to start resuscitation with chest compressions to reestablish blood flow.

When a newborn is cyanotic and limp, the priority is to restore circulation. A limp, cyanotic baby with suspected absent perfusion likely has little or no heartbeat, so immediate chest compressions are indicated to generate perfusion to vital organs while ventilation is provided. You don’t delay CPR while you clear the airway or warm the infant, though those steps are supportive and should be done quickly as part of resuscitation. Cutting the umbilical cord or delivering the placenta isn’t the immediate action needed when circulation isn’t present. In short, the first action is to start resuscitation with chest compressions to reestablish blood flow.

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