Infant and Toddler CPR

My sister and I recently completed an Infant/Toddler CPR certification course at our local library. We also spend a LOT of time together and that means we always have a house full of little kids. We feel it is our responsibility as mothers to be as prepared as possible in case of an emergency and we have both had our fair share of “false alarms” when it comes to our children choking.

I am always amazed by the range of items kids will put into their mouths. They just can not resist the temptation of putting strange things in their mouths. My kids have put everything from spare change to rubber bands to rocks in their mouths. And of course they can choke on food as well. It is crucial for parents to watch their kids whenever they are eating. My kids have almost choked on crackers, jelly beans, raisins…the list just goes on and on. They can basically choke on anything and everything.

Almost all of these “choking” incidents were false alarms. They usually cough up whatever it was that slipped down their throat. However, once when my daughter was 5 months old, I had her sitting in her stroller eating little baby crackers. If I hadn’t been with her, I wouldn’t have ever known she was choking; she didn’t make a sound. She just started flapping her hands around and was trying to cough. I ripped her out of the stroller, flipped her lengthwise along my arm and wacked her on her back really hard 3 times. The cracker shot out of her mouth and we both started crying our eyes out. Ironically, that was before I ever took the CPR class. I had remembered that tidbit of “CPR education” from high school (which was a very long time ago).

There are many ways you can learn CPR for both children and adults. The American Heart Association website offers a “Find a Class” option or CPR kits that you can purchase online. The ECC Class Connector can help you locate classes in your area for learning CPR, First Aid, AED and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) classes. You can search by location or by subject area. The CPR Anytime Course is a personal learning program that you can purchase online. The Infant CPR kit was developed with the American Academy of Pediatrics to teach parents and caregivers the core skills of Infant CPR and relief of choking.

At the CPR class the instructor told us that when it comes to CPR, doing something is always better than doing nothing. You don’t have to be a medical professional to help someone. You just need to help. Everyone should learn and practice CPR because you never know when someone might need your help.

Be safe,

Daniele

0