Words: Tracey Taylor

Being a parent means you never quite know what’s around the corner. Children are naturally inquisitive which means lots of exploring and discovering – and with that comes the inevitable little bumps, bangs, trips and tumbles. While most of the time that quivering bottom lip can be vanquished with a hug and appearance of their favourite toy, it’s always important to have a little first aid know-how. That way, if you were faced with a more serious emergency situation, you’d have the skills and confidence to be able to help.

For greater confidence, it’s a good idea to take a baby and child first aid course such as the British Red Cross baby and child first aid course. It’s really easy to learn and you’ll have an experienced trainer there to support you throughout. But for the basics, here are my top first aid tips for families:

1. You don’t need a first aid kit
There are lots of everyday items that you can use in an emergency; cold milk is great to cool a burn if you don’t have access to cold running water, or frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel is ideal to sooth a bump to the head.

2. Burns and scalds
These are common in toddlers as the little explorers don’t always know what is safe to touch or not. If your baby or child burns themselves, cool the burn under cold running water for at least 10 minutes. Whilst cooling get someone to call 999 for an ambulance if necessary. Once the burn has been completely cooled, cover it loosely with cling-film or a clean plastic bag and ensure you get your child checked out.

3. Febrile seizures
These can happen in younger children and babies when they become too hot, which can occur as a result of a fever. If your baby or child is red-faced and hot to touch and they arch their back, stiffen their body and have clenched fists, this may be a febrile seizure. The key thing you need to remember is to protect them from injury and reduce their temperature, by removing clothing and applying a wet cloth.

While this would be a scary situation for you to deal with it’s worth remembering that it normally appears worse than it is and most children make a full recovery once they have cooled down.

4. Bumps to the head
Common for little ones, these are normally nothing to worry about. A blow to the head may result in the baby or child having pain or a headache. There may be a bump on their head and they may look pale. Firstly, get the baby or child to rest and apply something cold to the injury (e.g. frozen vegetables wrapped in a tea towel). If they become drowsy or vomit or their condition deteriorates this could be the sign of a more serious head injury such as concussion – then call 999.

5. Meningitis
This is a common concern for parents and one we at the British Red Cross get asked about frequently. Signs to look out for if your baby or child is unwell are: flu-like symptoms, a headache and a high temperature. They may also complain of a stiff neck and be sensitive to light. If you suspect meningitis, call 999 – trust your instincts!

6. Bee stings
While not necessarily harmful, a bee or wasp-sting can be scary for little ones. When an insect sting is visible on the skin, a credit card can be used to scrape it away. Using the edge of the credit card, drag it across the skin. This will remove the sting. Using a credit card or your fingernail is preferable to using a pair of tweezers as they can squeeze the sting and actually inject more position into the casualty.

7. Cuts
Hopefully your little one won’t be coming into contact with anything sharp enough to cut them but garden sheds, kitchens and even glass doors can be a worry should an accident happen. If your child has cut themselves and they are bleeding heavily put pressure on the wound with whatever is available to stop or slow down the flow of blood. As soon as possible call 999 for emergency help and keep the pressure on the wound until help arrives.

8. Medicines
Always make sure you keep harmful substances like alcohol, drugs (prescription or non-prescription) and chemicals (including household cleaning products) out of children’s reach. If they do swallow something harmful establish what they have taken, when and how much. Then call 999 right away.

9. Baby and child first aid app
Download the baby and child first aid app. Packed with useful information, animations and tips, it’s first aid at your fingertips.

Tracey Taylor is a first aid spokesperson for the British Red Cross. She will be speaking at The Baby Show at London ExCeL, from 19 to 21 February; thebabyshow.co.uk

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