As a first-aid and CPR educator for children and adults, parents frequently ask me when is the best time to learn CPR? My response is always “yesterday”. I strongly recommend that parents or caregivers take the class and become familiar with the skills prior to a new baby’s arrival. Visiting a local first responder or American Red Cross provider to practice these skills hands-on is a great idea. I encourage everyone to review these skills annually to ensure you keep them current and are prepared.
There are a number of reasons why I am drawn to teaching CPR to parents and caregivers and why I feel so strongly about learning the skills sooner than later, as well as revisiting them and practicing them at different times.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, also known as CPR, is a critical emergency response tool that everyone should be familiar with. Unfortunately, only about a third of Americans are comfortable performing these life saving skills. Parents and caregivers are high on the list of people who should feel comfortable and prepared in the event of an emergency.
Infants have a higher risk of suffering from critical respiratory issues. Unfortunately, they are more vulnerable to accidental injuries such as suffocation, choking, asthma, poisoning, smoke inhalation, head trauma, electrical shock, SIDS, and more. Being CPR certified can help keep a household prepared in the event of an emergency.
The purpose of CPR is to restore blood flow to the brain, heart, and all other organs. The technique and mechanics of CPR teach parents and caregivers how to do that. It can feel tricky or intimidating at first, but after a class with a skilled educator, the techniques make a great deal of sense.
One of the most important accidental injuries to prevent is drowning. If you have a pool at your home, having knowledge of CPR is crucial. There are risks for parents of small children who own a pool and helping prevent any injury can be paramount.
CPR is such an important life-saving skill to know. Most times it is a lack of knowledge and confidence that prevent people from feeling like they can tackle this type of emergency, if one were to come up — yet this skill-set can be learned in a workshop and refreshed via video or practice. Doing so as soon as possible lays is part of the building blocks of safe, educated and secure caregiving when it comes to knowing the basics!