Self-instructional CPR training for parents of high risk infants

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• Neonatal Care
• Cardiovascular Health

Background:

• Premature infants and those with congenital heart disease (CHD) face elevated risks of respiratory or cardiac arrest within their first year.
• Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) significantly impacts resuscitation outcomes in infants.
• Effective CPR training for families of high-risk infants is crucial for improving survival rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a self-instructional DVD kit (Infant CPRAnytime) for training families of high-risk infants in CPR.
• To assess changes in caregiver comfort levels performing CPR after using the kit.
• To determine the extent to which parents shared the CPR training kit and reviewed its content.

Main Methods:

• Parents of premature infants (<35 weeks or <2500 g) or infants with CHD received a self-instructional CPR DVD kit.
• Parents completed baseline questionnaires, reviewed the DVD, and practiced CPR before hospital discharge.
• Follow-up questionnaires at 4 and 12 months assessed kit sharing, practice frequency, and comfort levels.

Main Results:

• Caregiver comfort in performing CPR increased significantly from baseline (2.8) to 12 months (3.5) (p=0.023).
• The CPR kit was shared with an average of 3.1 additional individuals and reviewed 1.8 times by the parent over 12 months.
• Five infant CPR events were reported, all in infants with CHD, with six survivors demonstrating good or stable neurologic status.

Conclusions:

• Self-instructional CPR tools, like the Infant CPRAnytime DVD kit, are effective for training parents of high-risk infants.
• Caregiver confidence in performing CPR improves over time with continued access to training materials.
• The widespread sharing of the CPR kit extends training benefits to a broader network of caregivers.