The kits will be distributed free of charge to new parents who have infants in the NICU at the Hospital.
The American Heart Association's Infant CPR Anytime personal learning program makes it possible for anyone to learn how to relieve a choking infant and perform infant CPR. The kit contains everything needed to learn skills in about 20 minutes, and it can be used anywhere, from the comfort of home to a large community group setting. The kit is also used in hospital birthing centers to teach life-saving skills to new parents.
“Providing new parents with the ability to learn and perform infant CPR is an invaluable gift,” says Paul Quinn, Ph.D.,CNM, director of nursing. “We are so pleased to be able to provide these free kits to our patients, thanks to the generosity of our valued community partners at the American Heart Association.”
Infant sudden cardiac arrest and choking are medical emergencies which require immediate action. In fact, choking is the No. 1 cause of unintentional death in infants. The Infant CPR Anytime kits contain video that teaches Infant CPR, and a manikin to utilize while practicing skills.
About 5,800 children 18 years old and under suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year from all causes – including trauma, cardiovascular causes and sudden infant death syndrome. Only 6 percent survive.
For more information and to learn more visit www.heart.org/cpranytime or find a local class to learn to operate the CPR kits at http://www.heart.org/cpr.