How many cycles of rescue breathing should you give for an infant?

The correct number of cycles of rescue breathing to administer for an infant is 40 cycles per minute. This recommendation aligns with guidelines provided by organizations such as the American Heart Association, which emphasizes that infants require a different approach than adults due to their smaller lung capacity and differing respiratory physiology.

In practice, this means that the caregiver should give one breath every 3 seconds, resulting in a total of 40 breaths within one minute. This is crucial, as infants have a higher respiratory rate and require more frequent breaths to ensure adequate oxygenation in case of respiratory distress. Understanding this specific rate is fundamental for effective lifesaving efforts in emergencies involving infants.

Therefore, maintaining this rate is essential to prevent hypoxia and support the infant's respiratory function until further help is available.