WEST DES MOINES, Iowa —

The same week a stranger saved a choking baby at Sam’s Club in Ankeny, the American Heart Association is urging people to learn infant CPR.

“It’s critically important,” said Blank Children’s Hospital pediatrician Ashleigh Burt.

Burt tells KCCI if you notice an infant in distress and know what to do step in and offer to help.

She says the first step is to lay the child on a hard surface like the ground.

Ask someone to call 911 then start CPR.

Here is how that is done:

Take your first two fingers and put them on the lower portion of the upper chest.

Use those fingers and compress the chest about an inch to an inch and a half straight down toward the spine. Do it at a pace of about 120 times a minute. Burt says breaths are optional.

“The most important part about this is doing the chest compressions,” Burt said.

She said it is has proven to save lives. You can take infant CPR classes at First Support CPR and First Aid Training. You can email us at info@firstsupportcpr.com or call us at (408) 475-7724‬