CPR For Infants And Children

"Infant & Child CPR" is the title of a new DVD that demonstrates specialized CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) techniques for infants and children. Tracy Kalemba, who appears on the DVD to perform the CPR, visited The Saturday Early Show for an encore performance.

Kalemba is a registered nurse and nursing instructor at Rutgers University who has been a certified CPR instructor since 1991. The guidelines for the techniques she teaches on the DVD are the result of a first-ever agreement among the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association and the National Safety Council.

The DVD is designed to help parents and parents-to-be, but it is useful for anyone who cares for children (such as grandparents and daycare workers), anyone with a swimming pool, boaters, teachers or cafeteria workers. It also can be watched efficiently and the important facts are presented in a nutshell.

According to the newest CPR guidelines, two hands are used for adults; one hand for children, and just a finger or two for infants. The numbers are same: 30 compressions between breaths. Also, with children and infants, considerably more care is used with compressions. (They are more pliable than adults.)

As for incidents of choking, the DVD demonstrates that the technique to be used on infants is similar to CPR. For older children, it is essentially the Heimlich maneuver.

The Heimlich doesn't work so well with infants, because their internal organs are in such close proximity.