A baby was resuscitated by a police chief when a family hailed him at a traffic light, earlier this month.
In Splendora, Texas, Police Chief Rex Evans saw a family waving frantically to him from their car. He could tell by their panic-stricken faces that this was an emergency. Indeed, they quickly informed him that their baby had stopped breathing.
After alerting emergency response teams, Evans began performing CPR on the baby. In an emotionally charged moment, he encouraged the baby verbally, saying “Come on baby,” as he pumped its tiny chest. The baby began breathing again, just as the paramedics arrived on the scene. Paramedics then rushed that baby to the hospital, where it was evaluated and found to be in good condition.
This police chief acted heroically in a crucial moment. Two to three minutes without breathing will result in irreparable brain damage, and three to four minutes will cause death. Considering the fact that emergency crews can only drive as fast as their vehicle allows, every second was of the essence in these terrifying circumstances. Chief Evans’s swift actions saved this child’s life, as did the family members who thought to hail him.
There are a few things that parents should consider should they ever find themselves in a similar circumstance, or wish to prevent it. In one effort to prevent asphyxiation, parents can educate themselves on car seat safety. Babies need to come out of car seats frequently and ideally, should not sleep in them. Individual car seat manuals should be read thoroughly and followed, and parents should familiarize themselves with the current recommendations. Babies can’t be checked on too often. If this family hadn’t noticed soon enough, the three to four minutes without breathing to cause death could have passed unnoticed. Parents might consider taking an Infant CPR class to prepare themselves. If an emergency does occur, call 9-11 immediately and then begin CPR.
In the moment of an emergency, families might freeze and focus all their attention inward on the situation at hand. However, the fact that this family flagged down an officer saved their baby. Looking around or calling out for help nearby can’t be underestimated.