What would you do if your infant is choking?

Diane Oakland, IBCLC Family Education and Support Coordinator, Lactation Consultant

March 21, 2011

New Infant CPR and Safety class offered

Watching your child crawl around and play with their toys is an activity all parents enjoy. During play time there are many safety hazards which can enter your child's path, such as: small toys, coins, bobby pins and essentially anything that your child can put in their mouth. If swallowed, those items can potentially obstruct your child's airway. Not only do those day-to-day objects pose a risk to your child, even food can obstruct your child's airflow.

In the event of a choking emergency, it is important for you to know proper infant CPR and relief of choking skills. Columbia Center is now offering a free class called Infant CPR and Safety. This class is for expectant parents and parents with babies under one year of age. In just two-hours, you will be able to obtain the skills of infant CPR and to assist with a restricted airway.

We will provide a complementary Infant CPR AnytimeTM Kit to each family who attends the Infant CPR and Safety class. The kit, developed by the American Heart Association along with the American Academy of Pediatrics, includes:

  • A personal inflatable Mini BabyTM CPR learning manikin
  • CPR Skills Practice DVD

Martha Stollberg, a family educator at Columbia Center, will teach the Infant CPR and Safety class. Martha has maintained certification from the American Heart Association in Basic Life Support, the new name for CPR for over 12 years. The class will be conducted with a “practice-while-learning” technique. This will provide you the opportunity to learn each infant CPR step with the materials provided in your Infant CPR AnytimeTM Kit, alongside an instructor. Once you complete the class, you will be able to share the skills you have obtained with caregivers or other family members.

Register online at www.columbiacenter.org for the Infant CPR and Safety class. The next offerings of the Infant CPR and Safety class will take place on Saturday, April 9, 2011 and Saturday, May 14, 2011.