Red Cross Babysitting Practice Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

When checking an infant's responsiveness, tapping their foot is the appropriate first step because it is a gentle way to stimulate the infant without causing alarm or distress. Infants may not respond to auditory cues such as shouting their name, as they might not have the same level of auditory recognition that older children or adults do. Tapping their foot provides a tactile stimulus that can elicit a response more effectively.

Looking for signs of breathing and checking for a pulse are crucial steps in assessing an infant's overall condition, but they are more appropriate after an initial attempt to gain responsiveness. The priority is to first assess if the infant is awake or responsive to a stimulus like foot tapping before moving on to vital signs.