Campaign Highlights First Aid Skills For Parents

Coping with sleepless nights and knowing what to do in an emergency first aid situation are the two skills parents in Scotland most wish they had learnt before having a baby, a survey has revealed.

Dealing with teething and feeding as well as knowing how to get their baby to sleep also featured on the list. Most parents said they felt they had not received enough information on what to do in an emergency and almost half of those who took part in the British Red Cross survey said they would have liked to have learnt some first aid skills.

It comes as the charity launched a new campaign today aimed at parents and carers.

First Aid Rapped Up will contain a series of music videos with rapping toddlers and babies, with the first one tackling poisoning.

More than two-thirds of the parents in Scotland surveyed said they would not know how to recognise the symptoms or treat their child if they swallowed a harmful substance. Joe Mulligan, British Red Cross head of first aid, said: "Children don't come with a manual and no parent can be an expert on everything. We need to make it easier for all parents and carers to get the information they need. No one wants to be in the situation where a child is hurt or unwell and you don't know what to do.

"Every day, 58 children in the UK will attend accident and emergency units after being accidentally poisoned - which is why we are starting the campaign with poisoning first aid. Ultimately, the Red Cross would like every parent in the UK to feel empowered to deal with everyday injuries and know how to save a life.''

The campaign is backed by a host of celebrities including Jools Oliver, Coronation Street's Catherine Tyldesley, Tamzin Outhwaite and Katherine Kelly.