Some UK parents don't know how to do CPR

Some UK parents don't know how to do CPR

· Seven in 10 parents in the UK admit to not knowing how to help their child in a medical emergency situation.

· Most don’t know how to administer CPR or attend burns and scalds.

· Only 28 per cent have ever completed a first aid qualification.

A huge 72 per cent of parents across the UK wouldn’t know how to help their child in a medical emergency situation, according to new research from Findababysitter.com.

UK parents wouldn’t know how to assist an unconscious child, administer CPR or attend to burns and scalds, says the survey of parents by the childcare search site.

Leaving your children with a childcare professional is one of the hardest things a parent has to do, but when you look at it from this angle, it really puts things into perspective - are our kids....

The study brought to light the shocking lack of first aid knowledge amongst UK mums and dads, of whom only 28 per cent have ever completed a first aid qualification - a mandatory requirement for all registered nannies and child-minders.

The issue is worse amongst parents with children aged between 6-9 years, with 80 per cent respondents admitting they wouldn’t have a clue what to do in a medical emergency.

Tom Harrow, Dad of one, and CEO of Findababysitter.com,said: “Leaving your children with a childcare professional is one of the hardest things a parent has to do, but when you look at it from this angle, it really puts things into perspective - are our kids safer with a nanny or child-minder than they are with us?  

“It certainly begs for the reappraisal of childcare professionals and the work that they do.”

The recently launched Findababysitter.com Annual Childcare Report showed that parents ranked safety as the second biggest consideration, after cost, when choosing childcare.

However, seven in 10 parents who choose to employ a childcare professional are actually creating a safer environment for their children.

To tackle the findings head on, Findababysitter.com is offering a range of childcare courses including paediatric first aid, nanny cookery courses, common core skills, knowledge in childcare any many more.  

The courses promote the importance of childcare professionals and parents knowing how to provide the best, and safest environment for the children they care for.

Tom added: “We provide an online platform for parents to find the right childcare solutions for them, but we’re also just as devoted to arming parents with the skills they need when they are with their children, which is what we’ve designed our cost-effective courses to do.”

Parents can find out more about the range of Findababysitter.com childcare courses in their area by emailing [email protected]