LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky Children’s Hospital and partners are making sure parents and caregivers can save a child’s life if an emergency happens.

Life-size mannequins show families how to know, prepare and respond to sudden infant cardiac arrest. 

The Kentucky Children’s Hospital’s pediatric cardiology team is walking people through steps to perform infant CPR with or without an automated external defibrillator present.  

The American Heart Association says over 23,000 kids per year experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest nationwide each year.

Gloria Okorley is a nurse manager who says the kits resemble a real experience. 

“So that parents can have hands-on experience on something that looks like an infant and how to hold and turn the infant back, how to place the pads. If you have access to AED,” she said. 

Leaders at KCH say the infant mortality rate is an alarming issue for the country and it’s why they’re providing the hands-on tools to help Kentuckians. The latest numbers from the CDC says Kentucky's infant mortality rate is 6% for every 1,000 babies born.

Dr. Michelle Sykes is a KCH pediatric cardiologist who says CPR is different for infants yet critical in an emergency. 

“I will say that we probably see at least one a week coming into the Kentucky Children’s Hospital from outlying areas in Lexington and the surrounding areas within Kentucky, so it does happen. And like I said, the sooner CPR can be started, the better the outcome for that child,” Sykes said. 

They want caregivers to know the steps and how a $25,000 donation from KCH partners, Tempur Sealy Foundation is helping fund 500 of the kits for families, giving them a chance to save a life.