If you're a working parent with a latchkey kid, you know there's plenty to worry about without adding a chronic, and potentially life-threatening disease like asthma to the mix. But there will soon be help at the nearest drugstore in the form of WhistleWatch, a simple-to-use monitor that gives an auditory warning when a child is having problems breathing.
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When Mom or Dad calls home, Junior simply blows the WhistleWatch into the phone. A whistling sound means all's well; silence means it's time to take meds or ring for the doctor.
Part of the Kidz-Meds product line from American Scientific Resources Inc., the computer-calibrated WhistleWatch is preset by the family doctor and locked in place at 80% of the child's best peak expiratory flow (PEF). A PEF at or below 80% activates the device and keeps the whistle from blowing. It's a simple "yes or no" signal with no need for interpretation by a medical professional.
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With regular use, the Whistle Watch not only warns of an imminent attack—or reassures parents that their child is breathing fine—but also tracks whether the asthma is worsening and how well the meds are working. Likely results: better disease management, fewer hospital visits (and lower hospital costs), to say nothing of less suffering for kids and fewer headaches for their working parents.
Contact American Scientific Resources Inc., New Paltz, NY; [email protected], www.americansci.com.