81 per cent of parents don’t know first aid skills
According to new research, as many as 81 per cent of parents don’t have even the most basic of first aid skills. This means that if their baby or child were to need emergency medical help, this 81 per cent of parents would not know what to do.
The research, undertaken by Tesco Baby & Toddler Club, found that most parents had not had any first aid training prior to having children. This is despite the fact that one in four of those surveyed will have to deal with an emergency situation at some point.
72 per cent of parents polled said they wouldn’t feel confident about administering first aid to their baby or child, as they would either panic too much or worry they were causing more harm or doing something wrong.
Joe Mulligan, who is the head of first aid education at the British Red Cross, said:
“Everyone knows that first aid is important, but many parents don’t want to think that their child will be involved in an emergency situation.
“However, it’s inevitable that a parent or carer would be the first person there if an accident occurs so it’s paramount that they have the knowledge and confidence required to administer first aid.”