Emergency First Aid for Parents and Carers

Whether you’re a parent, grandparent or regularly look after children, the thought of how you’d react in an emergency situation can be scary if you, like me, haven’t had any formal first aid training. This guide will look at some of the basic first aid steps that could help us out should any accidents or emergencies happen while we are looking after our kids, plus when we should call for medical help. Emergency first aid can be hard to administer and, when it is your child who has to be cared for, the feelings of panic and worry can take over our ability to think and function rationally. Staying calm might be a big ask, but by having a bit of extra knowledge on how to focus could help us all out if, or when, the time comes. All the advice I’ve written into this thread has been taken from NHS or St John’s Ambulance guidelines.

Cuts and Grazes
Kids will be kids and getting cuts and grazes are common as they grow and explore the world around them. Most parents are used to dealing with grazed knees or hands from a little tumble or two. However, sometimes the cuts can be deep and the bleeding can be more severe:

1.Always remember to wash your hands first before dealing with any broken skin.
2. Clean any cuts and grazes under cold water, if you have wipes to hand make sure they are alcohol-free.
3. Pat the area dry and cover it with a sterile gauze if you have one available. You can also use a clean cloth (non-fluffy), for example a clean tea towel works well. However, if you think there is something in the cut then apply the cloth or gauze around the area to help stop the bleeding, not directly on top.
4. Remove the cloth or gauze and apply a sterile dressing or large plaster to stop the bleeding and apply light pressure.
5.If the blood soaks through this then apply another dressing on top of the original one and maintain pressure to the wound.
6. Check that your child’s breathing is regular and that they responding to you as usual.
6. If you child shows any signs of being floppy and pale and the bleeding isn’t stopping or if you think that your child’s cut might be infected or it has something imbedded in it, then seek out medical help by calling 112 or 999.

Nosebleeds
Nosebleeds can be a common childhood ailment and aren’t usually a sign of anything more sinister but are also quite frightening for your child. If your child has one, then advice to help stop them is as follows:

1. Sit down and firmly pinch the soft part of your child’s nose, just above your nostrils, for at least 10-15 minutes.2. Lean them forward and ask them to breathe through their mouth. This helps drain blood down the nose away from the throat.
3. If you have one available, then place an ice pack or bag of frozen vegetables covered by a towel on the bridge of their nose. 4. Keep your child upright, not lying down, as this will discourage further bleeding by reducing the blood pressure in the blood vessels of their nose.The NHS also advise that if someone has a nosebleed that hasn't stopped after 20 minutes, then you should go to your nearest A&E department.

Choking and Suffocation
It’s a scary thing to watch a child choke and in many cases they will be able to dislodge the blockage in their throat by coughing but if they can’t talk, breathe or cry then you need to act fast before they become unconscious:

1. Give your child five hard blows between the shoulder blades with the palm of your hand.
2. If the item that they’re choking on doesn't come out of their mouth, give them up to five thrusts to their abdomen.
3. If this hasn’t worked, phone 999 immediately and keep trying to get rid of the obstruction.

With babies the advice is slightly different. You will need to lie them across your forearm and use the side of your hand to thrust between the shoulder blades (a bit like a karate chop). Call 999 immediately if this doesn’t work.

Breathing Has Stopped
If you find that your child is unresponsive and has stopped breathing then it is important to phone 999 straight away. If you are with someone else, then get them to call 999 while you start CPR:

1. Turn your child onto their back.
2. Check there is nothing obstructing their airway by placing your fingers in their mouth and gently checking the back of their throat.3. Tilt their head back slightly and take a big breath.4. If your child is under one, take breath and put your mouth over their nose and mouth. If they are older, pinch their nostrils together and place your mouth over theirs.5. Breath out, take your mouth away and watch for the chest to fall as air comes out.6. Use two fingers to give 30 chest compressions.7. Give two more mouth-to-mouth breaths.8. Repeat stages 6-7 until help arrives.Scalds and Burns
Minor burns or scalds, for example touching a hot hob with fingers, can be treated by running the burned area under cool water for 20 minutes. Once the area has cooled then cover with cling film. If you are at all worried or your child is in a lot of pain then call the doctor or 112 and ask for advice.

If your child has caught fire, immediately wrap them in a blanket or large towel and roll them on the floor to extinguish the flames. Never try to take off any of their clothes that might have stuck to the burnt area and phone 999 right away.

If your child’s skin has been burnt from chemicals, such as a strong cleaning solution, then repeatedly wash the area with cold water and seek medical help straight away.

Poisoning
If your child has accidentally ingested something poisonous, then the advice is.

1. Try to identify what it was and how much of it they have swallowed and call 999/112 and give them as much information as you can. 2. Keep checking your child to make sure they are breathing normally and are being responsive.3. Don’t try and make them be sick.
4. If your child’s mouth is burning, give them small sips of milk or water until help arrives.When to call 999
Sometimes it can be hard to judge when we should call for an ambulance but the advice is clear that you should ALWAYS phone 999 if any of the following things happen:

If your child stops breathing or turns blue.
If they are unresponsive and they don't seem aware of what's happening around them.
If their eyes have become glazed and are not focussing.
If they have a suspected broken bone or any other internal injury.
If they can't be woken up by you.

First Aid Courses
A good way to make sure we know exactly what to do in a first aid emergency is to enroll on a first aid course aimed at babies and children. This one is available for free with Future Learn
(Thanks )

The National Childbirth Trust also offer a Baby First Aid course to help new or expectant parents. The course covers first aid techniques for babies (0-1 years) and children (1-12 years). Click here to search for the courses available in your area.

First Aid Kits
It’s always handy to have a first aid kit to hand in the event of any accidents or emergencies.

Halfords have a basic first aid kit, ideal to keep in your car or when you are going on your hols, for £7 (plus £3.99 P&P)

Boots have a complete first aid kit that was put together in partnership with St. John’s Ambulance for £19.99 (free C&C). They currently also have a 3 for 2 offer on first aid products.

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