Chicago Police Officers Honored For Reviving Newborn Who Wasn't Breathing
CHICAGO (CBS) -- After helping revive a baby who was born premature and unresponsive, two Chicago police officers have been named the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation's officers of the month.
"The woman had just given birth during her 34th week of pregnancy," said Phil Cline, executive director of the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation. "The officers found the woman inside a tiny bathroom, holding an unresponsive newborn."
Cline said both officers immediately went to work. Seeing that the baby's umbilical cord was still attached, under a dispatcher's directions, Palozzolo pinched the baby's umbilical cord closed, and began performing CPR – mouth-to-mouth and chest compressions.
"He gently took the child from [her] mother's hands, and began puffing breaths into the tiny lungs," he said.
Bautista calmed the mother while Palozzolo tried to revive the infant.
"Just tried to distract her a little, and asked her questions," she said.
Paramedics arrived about four minutes after the officers began CPR, and took the baby to Mount Sinai Hospital, where the girl's condition was stabilized.
"We took care of that child as if it were our own," Palozzolo said.