Recently two trials were published in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrating the efficacy of 12 hours and 24 hours of hypothermia therapy following ventricular arrhythmia-induced cardiac arrest in adults. The results of these important studies suggest that hypothermia therapy will be beneficial in children following cardiac arrest. There are however important differences in the etiology, pathophysiology, neuropathology, therapy and outcome of cardiac arrest in children compared to adults.