Developed in coordination with the American Academy of Pediatrics, new kit provides 22 minute at-home training for infant CPR and relief of choking.
DALLAS—Now, expectant parents, new parents, grandparents and siblings have a simple, convenient way to learn to perform infant CPR and to relieve choking - the American Heart Association’s Infant CPR Anytime™ Personal Learning Program. This new training program can be used to learn skills that could help save the life of an infant (newborn-12 months). The kit includes a one-of-a-kind infant CPR manikin, a 22-minute skills training DVD and two fold-out Quick-Reference Skills Reminders.
The Mini Baby™ manikin is an inflatable version of a traditional infant CPR manikin and was designed by Laerdal Medical, a leading manufacturer of therapy and training products. An instructional DVD walks users through each step of the training, from inflating the manikin, doing chest compressions and rescue breathing, to how to relieve choking in an infant. Because the training materials are contained in a take-home kit, Infant CPR Anytime allows all family members to learn and brush up on their skills periodically.
Knowing how to perform the relatively simple skills of CPR and relief of choking can make a life or death difference for infants who suffer cardiac arrest or whose airways become blocked by food or objects. Estimates of the number of pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrests vary widely. These arrests are attributed to several causes, including trauma, sudden infant death syndrome, respiratory causes, cardiovascular causes and submersion (near-drowning). Sadly, the reported average survival to hospital discharge after pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is 6.7 percent.
According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, unintentional choking and suffocation are the leading cause of all injury deaths for infants under the age of one. In 2001, more than 636 infants died from unintentional choking or suffocation.
"Because the home is the most likely place for an infant to choke or suffer cardiac arrest, parents and caretakers are among the most important people to be trained in infant CPR and the relief of choking," said Monica Kleinman, M.D., national spokesperson for the American Heart Association and clinical director, Medical/Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Children’s Hospital Boston. “Infant CPR Anytime is an important and convenient way for all caretakers to gain the peace of mind of knowing they’re prepared to help the infants who are part of their lives.”
Infant CPR Anytime is designed for people who don’t require a course completion card to satisfy a work requirement and who most likely would never attend a traditional CPR course.
American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has had a long-standing cooperative relationship with the American Heart Association in the development of pediatric resuscitation guidelines and training materials. The academy provided expert scientific review of the Infant CPR Anytime program.
“We’re thrilled to be part of something that enables people to learn infant CPR, that otherwise wouldn’t have that opportunity,” said Jeffrey Perlman, M.D., F.A.A.P., co-chair of the AAP Neonatal Resuscitation Steering Committee. “Although it’s a skill no one wants to use, the more parents that know infant CPR the better.”
Mini Baby joins the CPR Anytime family
Laerdal Medical, through its strategic alliance with the American Heart Association, worked closely on the development of the Infant CPR Anytime Personal Learning Program. Notably, Laerdal created Mini Baby, an inflatable manikin designed to accurately simulate an infant — from the resistance of the chest during a compression to the amount of air necessary to make the chest rise and fall. Laerdal has been a global leader for more than 50 years in the development of lifelike manikins, including Resusci® Anne, used to prepare lay rescuers and medical professionals worldwide to respond to medical emergencies. Infant CPR Anytime kits may be purchased online now or by calling 888-LMC-4AHA (562-4242).
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About the American Heart Association
Founded in 1924, the American Heart Association today is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to reducing disability and death from diseases of the heart and stroke. These diseases, America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers, and all other cardiovascular diseases claim over 870,000 lives a year. In fiscal year 2005–06 the association invested over $543 million in research, professional and public education, advocacy and community service programs to help all Americans live longer, healthier lives. To learn more, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit americanheart.org.
About the American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children adolescents and young adults. www.aap.org
About Laerdal Medical Corporation
Laerdal Medical, one of the world’s leading providers of Healthcare Solutions, is dedicated to helping save lives with products and services for Airway Management, Immobilization, Basic Life Support, Advanced Life Support, Patient Care, Self-Directed Learning, and Medical Education. Laerdal serves all healthcare providers and educators, from the lay rescuer to the medical professional.
