Only one-in-five parents confident in CPR: new report

Only one-in-five parents would feel confident performing CPR on a child, even though 80 per cent believe it is the most important aspect of childhood first aid.
The figures, contained in a new report by a leading provider of first-aid training, were released ahead of World First Aid Day on Saturday, September 14.
World First Aid Day raises awareness about the crucial role of first aid in saving lives, and parents and carers are being urged to learn first aid, including CPR, or brush up on their skills.
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Australia Wide First Aid surveyed more than 1000 Australians in August for The First Aid Proficiency Report.
It found 68 per cent of parents were not confident in their ability to provide life-saving medical care to a choking child, while one-in-five parents said they would struggle to provide the back blows and chest thrusts that are the recommended first aid for choking.
Sarah Hunstead founded CPR Kids in 2012. A paediatric nurse who once worked in hospital emergency departments, she started CPR Kids after encountering countless parents who arrived at hospital distraught because they weren’t able to help their child in an emergency.
CPR Kids provides baby and child first-aid training and gives child safety and life-saving tips and advice via its website and social media accounts.
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She was not surprised to learn only 20 per cent of parents felt confident performing CPR on a child but said learning and re-learning first aid was the best way to gain confidence.
“It’s all well and good to go and learn the skills but if you do not have the confidence to put these skills into action there is no point,” she said.
“We always refer to our baseline so in an emergency you revert back to what you know.
“We hear that all the time from people that when they were in an emergency they were able to recall it.
“I guess my message is what you do in those moments before an ambulance arrives or before you get medical help will often make a real difference to the outcome.”
Hunstead said while any first-aid training was worthwhile, she recommended anyone caring for young children did specific baby and child first aid.
“Kids are not the same as adults. They are not just miniature versions of adults. They are built quite differently,” she said.
“And we are not just learning about CPR and choking and things like that, we are learning things such as recognising a sick child.”
Hunstead said first-aid training allowed carers to spot the ‘red flags’ for a sick child.
While drownings and choking were the most high-profile and feared emergencies amongst parents, data showed everyday falls in and around the home were the most common cause of childhood injury.
Again, knowing how to spot a head injury that requires urgent medical care, a broken bone, or a serious cut as opposed to a scrape was all part of first-aid training.
Emily Aslin is Australia Wide First Aid’s content and media manager.
The Brisbane-based former teacher has been trained in first aid and CPR for more than 10 years and was sometimes called on to tend “cuts and scrapes” in the schoolyard.
However, she found her skills came in handy at home just this week when her four-year-old daughter Mavis suffered a serious injury while playing with her sister.
“They were on the trampoline in our backyard… when we heard lots of screaming,” Aslin said.
She found Mavis in the “foetal position” unable to move. After carrying her inside Aslin’s first-aid training kicked in.
“She would not move [and] she would not move her leg,” she said.
“One of the important things with first aid is to keep the casualty in the most comfortable position for them.”
After administering ice and pain relief, Aslin said it became clear Mavis needed to go to hospital, where X-rays found a significant break to her tibia, just below the knee.
Aslin said first-aid training helped parents stay calm in an emergency so they could help their child. 
“It’s one of those things that you can never be over-prepared for because, for instance, if your kid is choking you need to get in there and help them.”
She also had a message for parents: “Do your first-aid training. Do not rely on other people to save your kid.”
Hunstead said the Australian Resuscitation Council recommends CPR training every year and first-aid training every three years.
She said while it was unlikely a parent would ever have to perform CPR on their own child, she guaranteed they would “never regret” learning the skill.
“First aid is one of those things that you always intend to do and life gets in the way, but you will never regret the hours that you spent learning how to save a life and you will never regret saving a life.”