Learning How to Give CPR Could Save a Child's Life This Summer

When the sun’s out and temperatures are soaring, kids love nothing more than getting wet, whether they’re jumping into a pool or splashing around at a water park. If you’re a parent or supervisor planning to take kids to a pool, beach, lake or even to a local fountain, knowing how to give CPR could be lifesaving this summer. If you’ve never learned CPR or if you need a refresher, now is a great time to learn. Holy Cross Health teaches a number of classes on how to give CPR: Infant CPR and Safety (Birth to Age 1), Child CPR and Safety (Ages 1 -8) and Heartsaver First Aid, CPR and AED Training classes. Debbie Levine, manager, Maternal, Infant, and Child Education at Holy Cross Health, says learning how to give CPR is much easier than it used to be. Here’s what Debbie says about learning how to give CPR.

How can summer be dangerous for kids?

During the summer, there are several things to think about as it’s warmer and we’re outside more, such as overheating, staying hydrated and protecting skin from too much sun exposure. We really like to remind people to never leave a baby or young child in a car because they can get hot so quickly. And there's pool safety of course. Kids need constant supervision whenever they are in or anywhere near a pool. They should always be in sight and never be left alone, not even for a moment.

Why is it important for parents to learn CPR?

Well, it doesn’t take a lot of water to lead to a drowning. All you need is enough water to cover the nose and mouth. An inch of water is technically enough that someone can drown. Older babies and toddlers are very top heavy, so if they lean over and fall in head first or face first into water, they don’t necessarily have the strength or the awareness to pull their head back out.

How can someone learn CPR?

We teach CPR classes at Holy Cross Health. There are some things you can find online, but the advantage of attending a class is you get your hands on a mannequin. And you actually can practice how hard and fast the compressions need to be. People have a definite tendency to breathe too much and not compress hard enough.

Is there a clear signal that someone needs CPR?

Yes, they are unresponsive and are not breathing well on their own.

What are some of the things you will learn during a CPR class?

You’ll learn how to give CPR properly to adults and to kids. There’s a big difference. With adults the underlying problem is usually cardiac, it’s usually the heart. With pediatrics it’s more likely to be a respiratory or breathing problem. You will also learn the basics of performing CPR: C - Compression A - Airway B - Breathing

How has CPR changed from what people might remember if they learned years ago?

I think they’ll find that it’s gotten easier. There are not as many different numbers or ratios and other variations to remember. The emphasis now is on the compressions. Part of the reason for the change is not to scare some people off from doing CPR because they are afraid or don't know what to do so they do nothing. We'd rather you do something. So if you don’t want to do the breathing on a stranger, then don’t do the breathing. But at least do the compressions.

Anything else you’d like to add?

The other thing to keep in mind is safety for the rescuer. You always want to check that you’re going to be safe as well. A classic example is if someone is laying in the street, you don’t want to just rush out because if you get hurt you can’t help them. So you need to look around and think about your own safety as well. To learn life-saving CPR skills, take one of our First Aid & CPR classes for infants and children or a Heartsaver First Aid & CPR class.

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Holy Cross Health presents the information in this blog as a resource for our community. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice or to endorse any particular entity or service. Personal health problems should be brought to the attention of the appropriate health professionals.