How parents are learning to save lives
How parents are learning to save lives

By Beth Gollob

Published: August 16, 2007

Using just the right touch can make the difference between life and death for babies during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but parents often have trouble knowing precisely what to do.

A new tool at Mercy Health Center is expected to help parents of intensive care babies learn the proper way to sustain their little ones in emergencies.

Earlier this spring, the hospital began using CPR Teddy, a specially designed stuffed bear made for CPR training, in CPR classes for parents of preemies and ill newborns.

For at least a decade, the hospital has offered infant CPR classes, but chest compressions often were difficult to teach, said parent educator and nurse Margie Houseman.

"Daddies usually have a little heavier hand and the mommies are afraid they'll hurt the baby,” she said.

How the device works

•The new device uses visual cues to help parents apply the right touch.

•Users press the bear's heart to practice chest compressions, and if done correctly, a green light appears on the bear's collar. A red light indicates the person is pushing too hard.

•Simulated lungs and a special breathing mask also allow parents to practice mouth-to-mouth ventilation.

About the program

• Mercy Health Center offers public courses in infant and child CPR. About 15 to 20 families each month take infant CPR classes at the hospital.

•Courses are offered twice monthly on Saturday mornings.

•The course is voluntary for parents of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit, but the course is required if the child will be sent home with oxygen and breathing monitors.

•For more information, call 752-3600.

One family's experience

As new parents of a child in Mercy's neonatal intensive care unit, Ryan and Julie Busler of Shawnee learned Friday how to administer CPR in case something goes wrong.

In late June, doctors performed an emergency Caesarean section on Julie because their son was not growing as he should have been. Born seven weeks early, tiny Boston weighed less than 3 pounds at birth.

"My due date wasn't until Aug. 13,” Julie Busler said. He will remain in the neonatal intensive care unit until he's weighs about 4 pounds and can nurse from a bottle. The Buslers hope that will be sometime in the next few weeks.

Ryan Busler had taken an adult CPR course while in high school, but it didn't really prepare him for infant first aid, he said.

"This is a lot different. You don't breathe as hard or push as hard,” he said.

Julie Busler said she's confident she can help Boston if something were to happen.

"On top of just helping our child, if we're ever out in public it might be useful to know this,” she said. "This is just one more thing we won't have to worry about.”

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