A NEW life-saving babygrow on what to do in the event a baby stops breathing has been putting parents’ first aid fears to bed.

Yesterday shoppers at Tesco got their hands on the exclusive garment, designed for three to six-month-olds, which shows instructions on how to give cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

It has been launched by St John Ambulance and Tesco after people in the region said it is the first aid emergency they fear the most.

Kevin Dickens from the charity, along with Anna Hartley-Wilson, who helped organise the event, were on hand to explain how the babygrow works, as well as giving demonstrations and handing out booklets full of first aid tips.

Anna said: “A lot of people have said they would be really frightened to do anything on a baby so little, so we are able to give them the literature to look at and Kevin has been showing them how to take the fear out of it.

“People are leaving with confidence.

“If you ask someone what you would do if someone stopped breathing in front of you a lot of them don’t know the answer.”

The colourful babygrow features a helpful reminder from nursery rhyme favourite Humpty Dumpty and depicts pictures on how to give CPR.

This includes five puffs over a baby’s mouth and nose and 30 pumps of their chest, followed by another two puffs and 30 pumps. The charity recommends parents carry out the technique after they have called for an ambulance.

“Some people have specifically come into the store because they want to speak to us about it,” Anna added.

“It has been a roaring success and it has been absolutely bedlam.

“Mums are putting the booklets in their baby bags, so they might not have the babygrow on them at all times but they have the literature.”

Mum-of-two Louisa Higgins, 32, from the Park North, was among those to pick up the leaflets and sign up to collect the babygrow for her newborn Layla next week.

“It’s a brilliant idea. If it happened to my little one or any of my friends’ children I think I would just freeze and panic.

“It’s every parents nightmare, so I think the babygrow is good because it explains it in simple terms.”

Kevin, who is the regional fundraising coordinator at St John Ambulance, said: “With a baby you need to stay calm because if you get in a panic you are going to miss something.

“The idea of the babygrow is that the instructions are in front of you and you are not in the dark.

“Working with Tesco gives us a great opportunity to help spread the incredibly important lesson of baby CPR to millions of parents.

“We hope the worst will never happen but the babygrow, and our online video, shows parents what to do in a very clear and simple way.”

Meanwhile Michelle McEttrick, Tesco group brand director, added: “We’re delighted to be supporting St John Ambulance in bringing this lifesaving lesson to parents - a perfect example of every little helps.”

For more information go to: www.sja.org.uk/sja/