AHA provides infant CPR kits for KCH parents and caregivers with donation from Tempur Sealy Foundation
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 12, 2024) — Bringing a newborn home from the hospital can be overwhelming. To help parents and caregivers feel more prepared, the American Heart Association, the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke, aims to train more people in infant CPR as part of its Nation of Lifesavers campaign.
Thanks to funding from the Tempur Sealy Foundation, the American Heart Association will provide 500 Infant CPR Anytime Training Kits to Kentucky Children’s Hospital to share with expectant parents and caregivers throughout the year.
“Shockingly, Kentucky has a preterm birth rate of 11.7% and an infant mortality rate of 6.15 deaths per 1,000 births, above the national averages of 10.4% and 5.6, respectively,” said Megan Moore, advisor to the Tempur Sealy Foundation. “Our hope is that through this initiative, in addition to our work with the Kentucky Children’s Hospital and the Tempur Sealy Pediatric Sleep Center, we will help decrease that number and save lives.”
CPR for infants works differently than CPR for children, teens and adults. Learning the proper method is important so caregivers can safely administer CPR to their baby should an emergency arise.
The Infant CPR Anytime Training Kit was developed by the American Heart Association in coordination with the American Academy of Pediatrics. Each portable kit includes a skills practice video, a reference card and an infant CPR manikin. The kit is designed to teach lifesaving skills for infant CPR and infant choking relief in about 20 minutes.
“Being able to share this education and resource in the community is such a gift,” said Scottie B. Day, M.D., physician-in-chief for Kentucky Children’s Hospital. “All new parents are anxious about keeping their baby safe. Equipping them with these tools in such an accessible way creates confidence and skill in new parents.”
This June, the American Heart Association in Central and Eastern Kentucky is celebrating 100 years of saving lives. Since the American Heart Association was founded in 1924, deaths in the United States from cardiovascular disease have been cut in half.
“As a part of our focus for the next century, our hope is to create a Nation of Lifesavers who will feel equipped to act in an emergency,” said Andrea Ooten, executive director of the American Heart Association of Central and Eastern Kentucky. “We want to turn bystanders into lifesavers by making sure everyone knows how to perform the lifesaving skill of CPR, not just on adults, but also on one of our most vulnerable populations — our children.”
More than 23,000 children suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest annually. While the reported number of infant out-of-hospital cardiac arrests varies widely, survival to hospital discharge averages 6.5 percent for children less than one year old who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, unintentional choking and suffocation are a leading cause of all injury deaths for infants under the age of one4.
To find an infant CPR training course near you, visit www.heart.org/findacourse. To learn more about the American Heart Association in Kentucky, visit www.heart.org/kentucky.
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for a century. During 2024 — our Centennial year — we celebrate our rich 100-year history and accomplishments. As we forge ahead into our second century of bold discovery and impact our vision is to advance health and hope for everyone, everywhere.
About Tempur Sealy Foundation
The Tempur Sealy Foundation is committed to improving the health and wellness of our communities through charitable giving initiatives in line with Tempur Sealy’s Corporate Social Values. As healthy children and families are the bedrock of healthy communities, the mission of the Tempur Sealy Foundation is to improve the lives of children and families through investing in high-impact health care, social service and educational organizations who make a positive difference in the lives of those most in need.
About Kentucky Children’s Hospital
Kentucky Children’s Hospital, part of UK HealthCare, is committed to providing the best care possible, for children as well as families. With the region’s only Level I pediatric trauma center and Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, more than 30 advanced subspecialty programs such as pediatric oncology and pediatric surgery and nationally ranked by U.S. News and World Report in pediatric heart care and orthopedics and urology, KCH is equipped to provide the highest level of care to young patients, close to home.
UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated health care professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns, the region’s only Level 1 trauma center and Kentucky’s top hospital ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the health care landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come.