11/19/2025
Does Your Nanny Have CPR Certification?
Your maternity leave is almost over, and it’s time to return to work. The thought of leaving your precious newborn in someone else’s care is anxiety-provoking, but you have given yourself enough time to interview plenty of childcarecandidates to ensure that you find the perfect caregiver for your baby. You want someone who is going to love your child as much as you do, someone responsible and, of course, nurturing. But there is one qualification that might not immediately come to mind but could mean the difference between life and death for your child. Does your applicant have their American Heart Association Infant and Child First Aid Certification and AHA Infant and Child CPR AED Certification?
Make sure you hire a CPR-certified nanny or help to get CPR training for baby caregiver.
A child who cannot breathe is only minutes away from death. Respiratory issues are the #1 reason an infant or child goes into cardiac arrest. Before asking about whether your baby caregiver will do the baby’s laundry, find out if he or she is properly trained to recognize sudden cardiac arrest in an infant and child as well as whether they have any First Aid skills to save your baby’s life while in their care.
Surrounding your baby with safety—get the appropriate first aid, CPR, and choking certifications and training
For parents, safety is not just an afterthought. In fact, you should place emergency preparedness at the top of your list of priorities when seeing an in-home childcare provider. Plan on having the potential caregiver explain how they would go about performing CPR on your baby. In addition, your baby might only be drinking from a bottle now, but he will be eating solid food before you know it. Will your new nanny know what to do in a choking incident? Does she know the difference between how to treat choking in an infant and an older child? What about First Aid training - does she have proper Epi-Pen training should your baby develop life-threatening allergies or know the proper way to treat a burn or deep cut?
Finding the right person for the job and helping them find the best CPR certification for your baby
As the parent and employer, it is so important to find the candidate who will keep your baby safe, well-cared for and happy. If you find an applicant that you absolutely adore but they perhaps don’t have the proper safety training, do not fret! Luckily it is easy to find plenty of CPR certification programs. There are a variety of courses offered that cover a range that includes infant CPR, AED, infant choking and First Aid. Some courses are more encompassing and will include child CPR as well—something to think about as your child will grow out of the infant phase in the blink of an eye.
