Life-saving infant CPR learning kits are distributed to parents, first responders, and healthcare workers in the Tucson metro area and Yuma

National CPR and AED Awareness Week is June 1 - 7

Phoenix, AZ (May 26, 2021) – Despite the fact that 88% of cardiac arrests occur at home, a whopping 70% of Americans don’t know how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This is especially troublesome for parents, relatives, and caregivers who may have just a few minutes to perform the life-saving act on infants.

Thanks to a unique partnership between the American Heart Association (AHA) and the Arizona Lottery, 984 Infant CPR Anytime personal learning kits were distributed to parents, first responders and healthcare workers throughout the Tucson metro area and in Yuma. The kits were funded by a $25,000 Gives Back Sponsorship from the Arizona Lottery to the AHA earlier this spring.

CPR combines chest compressions (pressing on the chest over the heart) and rescue breathing (mouth-to-mouth resuscitation). If someone isn't circulating blood or breathing well, CPR can help get oxygen-rich blood to the brain and restart breathing.

AHA Executive Director McKensie Neff said the infant CPR learning kits fill a void created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During the pandemic, Arizona hospitals and first responders had to cease offering their face-to-face CPR and choking relief training classes to families,” Neff said. “These learning kits are particularly important because infant CPR is performed differently than adult CPR. More harm can be done than good if the person administering infant CPR is not properly trained.”

Each kit teaches the core skills of infant CPR and choking relief in about 20 minutes by providing bilingual (English and Spanish) instructional videos and personal inflatable mini baby CPR manikin that can be used anywhere, including at home. The kit (photo attached) includes sanitary manikin wipes and can teach an entire family these lifesaving skills. Families and caregivers can refer to the videos and manikin again whenever they need a refresher on the skills.

The kits are also beneficial to parents of preterm babies who commonly have respiratory challenges due to underdeveloped lungs and apnea. Congenital heart defects occur in preterm babies two to three times (12 to 20 per 1,000 live preterm births) as often as in full-term babies.

“The Arizona Lottery exists to do good in the community and we leap at every opportunity that we can to assist organizations across Arizona with that same mission,” said Arizona Lottery Executive Director Gregg Edgar. “These are challenging times for organizations like the American Heart Association and the Arizona Lottery saw this as an innovative way to help meet that challenge. It is so wonderful to partner with great organizations to have an impact on Arizona."

National CPR and AED (Automated external defibrillator) Awareness Week is June 1 - 7. The AHA is a worldwide leader in first aid, CPR, and AED training -- educating more than 22 million people globally in CPR each year. To learn more, visit heart.org or call (520) 917-7520.