Infant CPR & First Aid Classes
Helping Parents-to-Be Better Prepare for Emergencies
As a parent, I know from personal experience that the only thing more frightening than your child experiencing a life-threatening emergency would be not knowing how to help them. Although we all hope never encounter it, more than 14,000 children were seen in an ER in 2006 due to airway obstruction (National Safe Kids Campaign). It is actually one of the most commonly faced emergencies in children under the age of 4. Unlike adults, who commonly require CPR due to cardiac issues, infants and toddlers are more likely to have breathing issues. It takes very little time for the heart of an infant to stop beating after breathing stops.
Parents often report that they are deeply concerned about SIDS, drowning, choking and other emergencies. However, it is always surprising to us how rarely they seek out training on how to assist their child before emergency responders arrive. Being trained in Infant/Child CPR and First Aid can literally mean the difference between life and death for your child.
According to statistics from the National Safe Kids Campaign,
- Most airway obstructions in children occur at home
- Suffocation is more common in the summer, while choking is more common in the winter
- Children most often choke on food items
- A majority of infant suffocations occur where they sleep (60%)
- More than half of all drawstring strangulations (i.e., on the hood or neck of a jacket) occur when they become entangled on playground slides
Although these are frightening things to think about, in looking more closely, we can see that we actually have a good chance of both preventing many emergencies and an even better chance of being able to respond to them if we have the right skills.
The goal of CPR is very simple: the rescue breathing ensures that oxygen continues to come into the bloodstream and the compressions on the chest ensure that the heart keeps beating, so that the oxygen gets to the brain and other vital organs. CPR is actually a very simple skill to learn that we hope never to have to use. However, if you are ever faced with a child who is not breathing, it will be the only skill that can save their life.
There are a variety of options for learning CPR and First Aid, including classes at community centers and hospitals. In an effort to ensure that every parent can access these skills many CPR trainers offer an opportunity to host a class in your home or local space for friends and family, or a class that is focused on the special needs of your child.
No parent has ever regretted investing the time and money ensure that everyone who spends time with their child is CPR and First Aid trained. Even if you were trained in the past, it is important to review the skills regularly, as accessing them in an emergency requires familiarity and muscle memory.
Infant and Child CPR and First Aid classes will give you the skills to respond immediately to an emergency, to use your first aid kit effectively, and to recognize safety concerns in advance to avoid a tragedy. A good class will include a low ratio of attendees to CPR dummies, allowing each student ample time to repeat the skills. The repetitive nature of the class is what builds the familiarity that will allow you to access those skills in a crisis. It will also follow a nationally recognized curriculum, such as the American Heart Association. This ensures that the techniques being taught have been proven through evidence-based research to be the most effective available. Finally, it will allow you time to question your teacher, who should have the knowledge and experience to answer questions.
We have to worry about so many things as parents and caregivers. Learn CPR and First Aid, and feel secure in your ability to intervene in a crisis.