Parents in Staffordshire given new guidance on infant CPR and sleep
It's part of a campaign by the local NHS services
A new campaign has been launched in Staffordshire and Stoke to help parents and carers learn lifesaving infant CPR and safe sleep advice.
The NHS guide will be given to families at antenatal appointments and aims to boost confidence in responding to emergencies.
In the UK, around 200 babies die suddenly and unexpectedly every year, with most deaths happening during the first 6 months of a baby’s life. Infants born prematurely or with a low birthweight are at greater risk. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) usually occurs when a baby is asleep, although it can occasionally happen while they’re awake.
Following safe sleep recommendations can significantly reduce the risk of these tragic events but it is also important to know how to perform CPR on a baby in case you need to help in an emergency.
The guide, which will be given to women registered with UHNM at their antenatal appointment, explains how to correctly assess a baby’s response and begin CPR in an emergency. Information in this guide is supported by the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) and has been developed in support of Rowan’s Rule, a campaign launched by a family whose baby boy tragically stopped breathing at home.
Rowans Rule
Like many new parents, Rachel and Christian Pepper didn’t know how to perform infant CPR when their one-week old son, Rowan suffered a cardiac arrest in October 2022. Despite NHS staff trying to save him, he sadly died a week later, as a result of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
In his memory, the Pepper family collaborated with Family Hub Derby to create an educational video that tells Rowan’s story and demonstrates infant CPR in simple steps.
Sarah Jamieson, Director of Midwifery at University Hospitals North Midlands NHS Trust said “Providing families with clear, practical information is central to safe maternity care. This new guide gives parents and carers the confidence to act in an emergency and the reassurance of knowing how to create a safe sleep environment for their baby. To mark World Patient Safety Day, we are hosting a range of promotional activities across the maternity centre alongside the launch of the Infant CPR and Safe Sleep Guide. By working together with our partners across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, we can help prevent avoidable tragedies and give every child the safest possible start in life.”
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