Blake Lively's Best Parenting Tip: 'Gossip Girl' Star Recommends Moms and Dads Undergo Infant CPR Classes
Blake Lively has a message for her followers who are also parents of babies. As a mom of two young kids herself, the former "Gossip Girl" star recommends that moms and dads should undergo infant CPR classes.
Lively shared on her Instagram that she enlisted in a CPR class "with a focus on babies and toddlers." She and husband Ryan Reynolds have two daughters, 2-year-old James and 9-month-old Ines, and she said learning CPR was "helpful by giving you knowledge, tools, and some peace of mind."
Reynolds, on the other hand, shared on social media of a personal experience with doing CPR on children. He revealed he took a CPR class years ago with Red Cross and it one day saved his nephew's life.
Joining Lively for the class this week, Reynolds said it was a refresher course for him. "It takes only a few hours and it's also kinda, sorta fun," he said.
Following their posts, parents and followers who have been to CPR classes shared their own experiences and thanked the couple for raising awareness. Infant CPR classes are done with mannequins and dolls where parents are also taught how to prevent accidents and childproofing tips.
Choking and gagging is a leading cause of death among infants and kids under 4 years old. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended in 2010 for parents as well as teachers and child care workers to learn CPR and choking first aid to prevent untoward incidents.
As Lively said, parents only need to Google "infant CPR classes" in their area as there are multiple agencies offering this. The American Red Cross has a dedicated CPR Training based on a person's location. The American Heart Association also holds classes and parents can easily locate a training center on their website as well as download eBooks about child safety.
Parents can also check their local hospitals for classes. Watch the video on infant CPR below for additional information.