First aid session at Alberton hospital enables mom to save her premature baby
Franco believes that was it not for the first aid and CPR training she received at the hospital, her baby would not be alive today.
A MOTHER was able to save her baby from choking, thanks to first aid training she received at an Alberton hospital prior to her baby being discharged home.
Bianca Franco from Mulbarton, Johannesburg, says that she got “the fright of her life” when little five-month-old Mason choked.
Mason was born prematurely by emergency caesarean section at Netcare Clinton Hospital on April 28. He was born at 24 weeks and weighed only 560g.
One day, after being discharged from hospital and at home, Mason started gasping for air.
“I was feeding and burping Mason when he suddenly started gasping for air and going blue; it was an extremely frightening experience,” relates the 30-year-old first-time mom.
“Fortunately, the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Netcare Clinton Hospital insists that moms and caregivers undergo a short training session in baby first aid and CPR before the little ones are discharged to go home.
“Remembering what I had been taught there, I checked Mason’s airways for an obstruction, placed him face down on my knee, and gave him a solid thump on his back. To my huge relief this helped in clearing his airway and restoring his breathing.
“We then rushed Mason, who had apparently suffered reflux and inhaled fluid into his lungs, to the hospital’s NICU where he could be ventilated and properly treated by a paediatric neonatologist, Dr Klaas Mnisi, and his team there.”
Forever grateful
Bianca believes that was it not for the first aid and CPR training she received at the hospital, her baby would not be alive today. “I am deeply grateful for that two-hour training session, which covered all the basics of baby first aid and equipped me with the knowledge and skill to save my precious little boy’s life.”
Sister Sharlene Glaus of the NICU at Netcare Clinton Hospital explained that when an infant inhales, or aspirates, water into their lungs it can cause a dangerous fluid build-up in the lungs and results in the lungs becoming inflamed, such as occurred in Mason’s case.
This is known as aspiration pneumonia, and Mason consequently had to spend a further four weeks in hospital recovering before he was discharged home recently.
According to Sr Glaus, who was speaking on World Prematurity Day on November 17, highly premature infants are highly vulnerable as they are usually born with underdeveloped lungs and other organs, and can face a number of health challenges for the first two years of their lives.
Long-term care at a specialised NICU such as that at Netcare Clinton Hospital after birth, however, considerably improves their chances of survival.
Positive feedback
“Mason was particularly premature and had to spend close on four months at our unit. During that time, the team formed a close bond with this little fighter and his parents. It was therefore of concern to us that he suffered this setback and had to spend further time in our care. Mason once again showed his fighting spirit, however, and we are delighted that he made such a strong recovery,” added Sr Glaus.
She stressed that first aid and CPR training for parents of premature babies is important: “We insist that moms and carers undergo the training before these little babies go home, to empower them in case of an incident. The training, as proved in Mason’s case, can be positively life-saving.” Highly experienced and certified instructor, Vanessa Beytell, provides the first aid course at Netcare Clinton Hospital, which covers CPR and other emergency first aid care such as what to do in the event of choking.
She said that first aid and CPR for infants differs significantly from that for adults, and is constantly being developed and advanced.
“As a result of their small size and under-development at birth, these premature babies face a number of unique challenges, including a higher risk of choking and suffering cardiac arrest. The training we provide enables parents and caregivers to better manage these worst-case scenarios,” notes Beytell.
“We have had a great deal of positive feedback on the sessions from mothers, who say they feel more reassured after completing it, and there have been instances in which it had actually saved lives.
“For these reasons, I thoroughly enjoy providing this training. We strongly recommend that it is not just the parents of premature babies who should undergo such training, but that all of those who care for children should have at least a basic understanding of first aid and CPR, so they know what to do in the event of an emergency,” she concluded.
For free daily local news in the south, visit our sister newspapers Alberton Record, Comaro Chronicle, Southern Courier and Get it Joburg South Magazine.
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