Babies not breathing is parents’ biggest fear – but only one in
four know what to do
St John Ambulance launches nursery rhyme-themed campaign – with
a memorable musical twist - to teach baby CPR to parents
We’ve launched Nursery Rhymes Inc. a campaign that teaches
parents and the wider public how to help a baby who’s stopped
breathing. New research* shows that this is the first aid emergency
parents are most worried about, yet only one in four know how to
help.
Nursery Rhymes Inc. teaches baby CPR in a short, clear and
reassuring way to help parents remember what to do in an
emergency.
Watch Nursery Rhymes Inc. teach baby CPR
The campaign features everyone’s favourite nursery rhyme
characters who’ve come together to create a memorable rhyme to
explain the technique. Incy Wincy Spider, Humpty Dumpty, Jack &
Jill, and the Cat & the Fiddle will be appearing in a TV ad
struggling to write the rhyme – though they have more luck in the
longer online version, which promises to make baby CPR truly
unforgettable in just two minutes with a catchy song.
Nursery Rhymes Inc. follows on from last year’s award winning
The Chokeables, which taught parents how to help a choking baby and
is credited with saving the lives of 46 children since its launch.
The video, which has had over 10 million views online, forms part
of our vision that everyone should know first aid.
Our new research shows:
- • An unconscious and not breathing child is the most
frightening scenario for three out of four parents (74%)
- • Yet only one in four parents (26%) would know how to
correctly administer baby CPR
- • Most parents who know first aid (62%) learnt it through a
workplace first aid course – yet baby CPR is different to adult CPR
(for instance, you need to cover the baby’s nose and mouth when
doing puffs, and you use two fingers to give pumps to the
chest)
- • Only one in four (26%) parents have learnt first aid
specifically for babies
Sue Killen, CEO at St John Ambulance, said:
‘The Chokeables was a real step forward for us and the response
was amazing. We’ve listened to parents and we know that they want
to learn first aid skills in a way that’s easy and memorable.
That’s what inspired us to create Nursery Rhymes Inc.
‘We know that a major barrier to parents learning is that baby
CPR frightens them, so we’ve removed the fear factor and made it
reassuring and as easy as possible to learn. We hope the song will
stick in everyone’s heads! We’re asking everyone to share the video
so that all parents, grandparents, and carers can learn what to do
in those crucial minutes after a baby has stopped breathing.’
To celebrate the campaign, we’re putting on special baby first
aid courses for parents, carers, and parents-to-be for just £25 +
VAT. To find your nearest course, or watch more first aid videos
and advice, go to sja.org.uk/NurseryRhymesInc
*research conducted by OnePoll on behalf of St John Ambulance of
2000 parents with 0-16 years olds in the UK, December 2015