Recommendations on resuscitation of babies at birth

Abstract

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR), in its 1997 advisory statement on paediatric life support [ 1 International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR)-Advisory statement on Paediatric Life Support. Resuscitation 1997;34:115–128. Google Scholar ], recognised the need to develop consistent international guidelines to be promulgated by national resuscitation councils and associations. These guidelines, known as advisory statements, are based on specific data (outcome validity), but in the absence of specific data, were developed and supported on the basis of common sense (face validity) or ease of teaching or skill retention (construct validity). The ILCOR advisory statement [ 1 International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR)-Advisory statement on Paediatric Life Support. Resuscitation 1997;34:115–128. Google Scholar ]makes specific recommendations for basic resuscitation of the new born. These guidelines have developed and enhanced these concepts and extended them into advanced life support. They are an extension of the guidelines already published by the ERC [ 2 European Resuscitation Council. Guidelines for basic life support. Resuscitation 1992;24:103–110. Br Med J 1993;306:1587–1589. Google Scholar , 3 European Resuscitation Council. Guidelines for advanced life support. Resuscitation 1992;24:111–121. Br Med J 1993;306:1589–1593. Google Scholar , 4 European Resuscitation Council. Guidelines for paediatric life support Resuscitation 1994;27:91–106. Br Med J 1994;308:1349–1355. Google Scholar ]and take into account recommendations made by other national [ 5 Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Resuscitation of babies at birth. BMJ Publishing Group, 1997. Google Scholar , 6 British Paediatric Association. Neonatal resuscitation-the report of a BPA working party. British Paediatric Association 1993, London. Google Scholar ]and international [ 7 American Heart Association. Neonatal advanced life support. JAMA 1996;255:2969–2973. Google Scholar ]organisations.