Your childminder and the value of CPR training

An incident in Cape Town in May 2010 brought home the importance of training your child's carer to know what to do in an emergency.

20-month-old Lukas Heider was playing in his bedroom while his childminder, Tozama Rondile, was doing the laundry. She had hung some clothes on an indoor clothes drier and had left him alone for a few minutes. When she returned she found Lukas lying lifeless under the drier with one of the rods pressing against his throat.

She removed the drier and immediately began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, despite never having had any formal training in CPR. She then called the paramedics who talked her through how to do heart massage, which saved his life. Despite not breathing for 4 minutes, the little boy was revived and has suffered no ill effects. Rondile's quick thinking certainly saved Lukas's life - a shocking story, but one thankfully with a happy ending.

My advice would be to make sure that your home is as secure and child-friendly as possible - childproofing is vital from when baby arrives in the home. However, it is really hard to anticipate such freak accidents as this. That is why ensuring that you, as a parent, and your childminder, are trained in how to be aware of potential dangers in the home, as well as in essential CPR and First Aid for an emergency, is so important. Also ensure that you have all emergency numbers on hand and know who to call.

For advice, nanny training and parents First Aid courses, contact Supernannies.

For the original story click here: www.iol.co.za