TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – February marks American Heart Month, a time when people can focus on their cardiovascular health and learn about the heart health of loved ones.

The American Heart Association (AHA) is filling the gap in parent education by donating 50 Infant CPR Anytime™ kits to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at UT Health Tyler.

“We want our parents to be prepared for ‘just in case’,” said NICU clinical educator Jamie Morrison.

The hospital recently opened a new NICU in partnership with Millennium Neonatology. The kits will go to NICU patients first.

“A baby born early who might have a higher risk of heart or lung problems, if he encounters anything at home, hopefully the parents are ready and trained,” said Millennium Neonatology CEO, the Dr. Snehal Doshi.

Infant CPR Anytime™ kits are for new parents, grandparents, babysitters, nannies, and anyone else who wants to learn infant CPR and basic first aid, but doesn’t need an end card courses to meet a professional requirement.

Parents will learn the kit before being discharged. “To make parents feel comfortable, and then once they get home, parents can feel comfortable teaching other caregivers,” Morrison said.

The kits contain everything needed to learn the vital skills of infant choking relief and CPR in about 20 minutes at home.

“Being able to practice these physical compressions is what is most important because the parents are afraid. How deep should I push? How fast should I push? And the extra teaching is what’s going to teach them that, but the physical practice is what’s going to burn into their heads,” Morrison said.

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), infants born prematurely or before 37 weeks have more than twice as many cardiovascular defects as infants born at term and often placed in hospital NICUs. These babies often have conditions that also increase the risk of cardiorespiratory arrest after discharge.

AHA’s first donation to UT Tyler of 50 kits, is the start of an annual donation. The goal is to donate 1,000 kits per year.

For more information on the American Heart Association, click here.

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