A Chief Nursing Officer,
Mrs Jokotola Shode, has said that every nanny and caregiver must provide a clean and hygienic environment for the health and safety of children.
Shode, who is the assistant director, Nursing Services, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, gave the advice at a workshop in Lagos.
The workshop tagged: “Nannies’ Training” was organised by Afribaby Initiative, a non-governmental organisation in Lagos.
She said that being a nanny was more of a calling than a job.
According to her, it involves knowledge of environmental safety and First Aid application.
The assistant director said that many of the nannies lacked motherly and professional skills to make babies safe, happy and healthy.
According to her, many babies and children take ill and contract diseases easily in the hands of untrained nannies as they cannot maintain a clean and hygienic environment.
“Some children have died due to unsafe and dirty environment, some have been permanently deformed and some fell sick indiscriminately because the nannies were unable to supervise the safety of children.
“Nanny is a calling, not a job because nannies are supposed to be educators, ensure child development, child safety and recognise and respond to signs of potential illness,” she said.
Shode also advised owners of nanny centres to affiliate their centres with private or public hospitals in case of health emergencies.
In his remarks, Dr Oscar Odiboh, the Founder of Afribaby, said that training of nannies would improve their services in terms of careful handling of babies in their care.
Odiboh said that such training would update, upgrade and professionalise the practise of baby care for healthy growth and development of babies.
According to him, nanny services are on the increase as many mothers have taken to different careers to make ends meet in the homes.
“There are lots of career mothers and single parents, especially in the cities and commercial towns, who desperately need the services of nannies.
“But, it is unfortunate that these parents leave their babies in the care of untrained nannies who do not know how to handle babies,” Odiboh said.
Nannies and caregivers from orphanage homes, crèches, schools, welfare homes, daycare centres, special homes and private homes participated in the training.