TWO-THIRDS OF KIDS WITH COLDS ARE BEING SENT TO SCHOOL

Survey released by KLEENEX® today reveals mothers’ attitudes to their children’s colds

Research commissioned by KLEENEX® reveals today that two thirds (66.9%) of mothers in Britain are not worried about sending their children to school with a cold.  Worryingly, 35% also believe that it’s a good idea to be exposed to colds as it builds immunity, despite this being a fallacy. 

The research coincides with the launch of Sneezesafe*, a new free health education programme from KLEENEX® that is based on an interactive website designed for teachers and parents of children aged 4-6 years old - www.sneezesafe.co.uk.  Through lesson plans, fun stories and interactive games, children can learn about good respiratory and tissue habits which will help prevent the spread of colds, flu and other viruses this winter.

The survey, which was conducted amongst 2,300 mothers through the UK’s leading parenting site www.raisingkids.co.uk, revealed that 63.4% send their children to school, nursery or a childminder if they are in reasonable spirits and almost half (49.4%) believe it’s part of school life.  With thousands of viruses subtly changing all the time, people’s immune systems cannot develop antibodies against all of them and it is therefore no surprise that schools are a breeding ground for the spread of viruses.

Dr Pat Spungin, a leading psychologist and founder of www.raisingkids.co.uk, says; “Given that the ‘common’ cold is just that and with so many parents sending their children to school with a cold, it’s important for parents to teach their children how to behave when they have a cold to prevent the spread to other children and family members.  www.sneezesafe.co.uk is a resource parents can access with their children to teach them the importance of good respiratory hygiene in a fun and interactive way, and will therefore help prevent the spread of colds and flu viruses both in schools and at home”.  

For more information or to download the free interactive resources, go to www.sneezesafe.co.uk

Summary of key findings from the Kleenex/raisingkids.co.uk survey:

• 66.9% of parents don’t mind sending their children to school, believing ‘it’s just a cold’

• 16.7% of parents never send their children to school when they have a cold

• 55.8% do not believe in apologising if their cold-ridden child comes into contact with another child

• 35.2% of mothers questioned stated that their children catch at least 1 cold per month

Raisingkids.co.uk interviewed the sample of 2339 parents, representative of all UK families between 22nd and 29th October 2007. 92% of respondents were female and 7.4% male

Notes:

Sneezesafe* is in line with NHS recommendations on reducing the spread of viruses such as colds and flu:

• Use a tissue to blow your nose and to cover coughs and sneezes
• Throw used tissues in the bin as soon as possible
• Wash your hands as soon as you can

Sneezesafe* also recommends carrying a pocket pack of KLEENEX® tissues with you.

As a leading health and hygiene company, Kimberly-Clark has years of experience in educating professionals and families about good hygiene practise, whether it be through Infection Control nurses in Hospitals, through Contract Cleaners in an industrial setting, through the work it does with Mothers or, in this latest campaign, through school children.

About KLEENEX®:

• KLEENEX® is the number one tissue brand in the UK
• It has a 45% value share of the market
• KLEENEX® has driven all the major innovations such as KLEENEX®  Anti-Viral, KLEENEX® Ultra Soft, KLEENEX® Balsam, KLEENEX® pocket packs & KLEENEX® Wipes.
• Three packs of KLEENEX® are sold every second in the UK (AC Nielsen, 2007)
• FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) labels will be applied to KLEENEX® packaging starting from December this year and in shops from January 2008  

About Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people--nearly a quarter of the world's population--trust K-C's brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well being. With brands such as KLEENEX®, Andrex®, Huggies®, Pull-Ups®, Kotex® and Depend®, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the company's 135-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com.