The nipple line is used as a landmark for hand placement during CPR for which age group?

• A. Infants
• B. Adults
• C. Children
• D. All ages

Answer: (A)

Hand placement in CPR relies on finding reliable external landmarks to push the chest in the right spot over the heart. For infants, the nipple line gives a clear horizontal reference on the small chest. You place two fingers on the center of the chest, just below that line, so compressions land over the heart and minimize injury to the delicate chest wall. This position is specifically suited to the infant’s size and anatomy, and the compression depth is kept appropriate for an infant (about one-third of the chest depth). In adults and older children, a different hand position is used (heel of the hand on the lower half of the sternum, near the nipple line) and with a deeper compression, which is why this landmark matters particularly for infant CPR.