Babies not breathing is parents’ biggest fear – but only one in four know what to do

Babies not breathing is parents’ biggest fear – but only one in four know what to do

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St John Ambulance has launched Nursery Rhymes Inc., a campaign that teaches parents and the wider public how to help a baby who has 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.

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 advert 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 the charity’s vision that everyone should know first aid.

New research by the charity shows: 

• An unconscious and not breathing child is the most frightening scenario for three out of four parents (75%)
• Yet only one in four parents (27%) would know how to correctly administer baby CPR
• Two thirds (66%) of parents say they know general first aid however only one in four (24%) learnt any specifically for babies
• Most parents (65%) learnt first aid 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). 

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."

The characters of Nursery Rhymes Inc. explain the steps to saving a baby who’s unconscious and not breathing. These are: 

1. Call 999/112 for an ambulance 
   If you’re on your own, you need to give one minute’s worth of CPR before you can call for help, taking your baby with you.
2. Five puffs 
   Put your lips around their mouth and nose and blow steadily for up to one second. Give five puffs in total.
3. 30 pumps 
   Using two fingers in the centre of the chest, give 30 pumps at a rate of 100-120 per minute.
4. Repeat, but with two puffs and 30 pumps until help arrives

The 40s version of the video will be appearing on TV from 20 January, with its first showing during Coronation Street, and the extended version (two minutes) will be launched online on the same day. The video features the voices of comedians Adam Buxton and Tim Key.

St John Ambulance is putting on special baby first aid courses for parents, parents-to-be and carers across Greater Manchester for just £25+VAT. To find your nearest course, or watch more first aid videos and advice, go to:

www.sja.org.uk/NurseryRhymesInc