Tuesday, May 6 2008, M and I attended an adult/child/infant CPR class. For a person who never practiced CPR before, I learned a lot from this class.
CPR, standing for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is an emergency medical procedure for a victim of cardiac arrest or, in some circumstances, respiratory arrest. CPR is performed in hospitals, or in the community by laypersons or by emergency response professionals. When performed correctly, CPR can save the victim’s life by restoring breathing and circulation until advanced life support can be given by health care providers.
The most useful part of the class for me is the infant CPR. The lecturer showed us step by step how to give CPR to an infant, including how to give compressions, how to open the airway, how to give breaths, how to use a mask (if you prefer), and how to check for response.
The lecturer told us three steps when emergency happens to an infant: the first step is to send someone to phone 911; then give CPR; after 5 sets, if alone, phone 911.
To give CPR to an infant, the first step is to check for responses, then open airway, check breathing. The third step is to give 2 breaths, then 30 compressions. Repeat sets of compressions and breaths. If alone after 5 sets, phone 911; then resume CPR (from Heartsaver CPR, Student workbook of American Heart Association).
The class also taught us how to help an chocking adult, child or infant, which I find extremely useful. Because chocking can be a frightening emergency, especially for an infant. Infants can easily choke if they put small things into their mouths. If the block in the airway is severe, you must act quickly to remove the block and help the infant breathe.
Dear parents-to-be, if you find the above information interesting or useful, you can contact your local hospitals or community centers for CPR classes. It is better to get trained by certified professionals on how to practice CPR on adults/child/infant.
From Lina, Healthy Pregnancy, Late-Pregnancy | Lina | 
May 8, 2008 6:16 am | 
Comments (2)
i would love to know how you found all of those classes and resources. i’ve been trying to look them up, but i cannot seem to find any.
Hello, Cassandra:
Nice to see your comments!
The infant CPR class, birth education class and breastfeeding calss are provided by the hospital I am going to deliver. The information was firstly provided by my practitioner and then I called the maternity center outreach office to get a detailed list of all the classes they offer, most of which are free!
So contact your hospital maternity center and ask them whether they offer this kind of classes. Good luck!!