Your baby fills your life with happiness every day of your life. All parents would do anything for their children. If your baby suddenly starts choking or their breathing stops for some reason, do you know what to do? Most people have a hard time to imagine themselves in a situation like that, and they always hope that it will never happen to them. Proper knowledge of what to do in this situation can prevent further injury and even death. The best way to stop a situation in ending in tragedy, is to stay prepared and confident in your CPR skills.
CPR stands for cardio pulmonary resuscitation. CPR is the quickest way to get oxygen and blood to all the main organs like the brain, so they can function. The sooner you can perform the CPR routine, the better the result could be. Even a single minute is important when a heart stops beating.
Who would benefit from a baby CPR class? Anyone that is in constant contact with an infant under 12 months, should be fully prepared to know exactly what to do in an emergency. Some examples are parents, grand parents, the nanny, au pairs and older siblings.
Here are some situations where you may need to utilize the skills learned in a baby CPR class:
Choking is a real risk for infants. They are curious, teething and put everything in their mouth. Always keep in mind that any small thing is a potential choking hazard. Another scenario where you should be careful is when the baby is first introduced to solid food. They are not familiar with the texture and sometimes try to put too much food in their mouths.They also play and laugh while eating. Keeping small items out of your baby's reach and monitoring the child while they eat are great ways to prevent choking.
Baby CPR could also be used to save a baby's life if they drowned. We know that babies are curious and they do not know that water can be dangerous. Keep in mind that infants under the age of one year cannot be taught how to swim. Keep your baby close to hand when they are close to a body or water like pools, lakes and other potential drowning places. A baby could drown in as little as an inch of water in a matter of seconds.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, SIDS, is when a baby dies unexpectedly with no identified cause of death. Steps you can do to reduce the risk of SIDS are: Keep your baby away from cigarette smoke.Put your bay to sleep lying on their back on a flat surface.Keep stuffed toys and heavy blankets out of their crib.
You could take all the precautions you can but unfortunately the risk of your baby choking or stopping breathing is still there. By knowing what to do and being prepared is the best chance you can offer your baby. If you are planning to have a baby in the near future, or have one arm yourself with the knowledge of how to protect your newborn. Encourage those around you to also learn these important life saving skills.