Learning life-saving skills, like CPR, is widely encouraged for adults, but learning to save lives can start as young as age four, according to new recommendations from leading heart health organizations. The American Heart Association, the European Resuscitation council and the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation just released a scientific statement urging parents and schools to teach these skills to young children.
The statement details evidence that shows kids as young as four can learn how to call for help during a medical emergency. They can be taught what 911 is for and how to call it, as well as learn their address to give to a dispatcher to send medical emergency services to their home. By the time kids are 10 to 12, they can learn to do chest compressions to perform CPR. The statement also recommends educating kids about how to assess for consciousness and normal breathing.
According to the CDC, about 70% to 90% of people who go into cardiac arrest die before reaching a hospital because people nearby don’t know how to help. Learning to recognize that someone has had a cardiac arrest, calling 911 early and starting CPR can help change that and kids can be part of that.
- “Although young children do not have the strength to perform correct chest compressions, they can learn the basic information about what to do if someone suddenly collapses,” explains Dr. Comilla Sasson, a practicing emergency medicine physician in Colorado and vice president for health science at the American Heart Association. “The AHA believes that no one is too young or too old to learn about CPR, AEDs, and what cardiac arrest is.”
Source: CNN
Scott's Thoughts:
- Who’s up for a family CPR class? We could all benefit from it!
- One of the earliest things I remember teaching my kids was our home address and phone number.
- They want to help. It is YOUR job as a parent to give them the tools they need to help.