First aid for babies and children
It’s important for everyone to know some first aid. If you are a parent or carer, or you work with children, knowing what to do when a child is in distress or there is an emergency is especially important.
Child with a band-aid on his knee
Understanding how to use first aid techniques can be a vital skill for parents and carers.
What is first aid?
‘First aid’ means taking immediate action to help someone who has been injured, is involved in an accident or has a medical emergency, such as a heart attack.
Whether it is a baby, a child or an adult in need of care, the purpose of first aid is to keep someone alive, protect them from further harm, and do what you can to help them recover.
When do you need to use first aid?
When you are caring for babies or children, of course you do everything possible to keep them safe. However, accidents can still happen. While an accident could happen anywhere, most injuries to young children happen at home.
First aid can be useful in a range of situations. You might need to help a child who:
has a simple injury like a cut finger
has a more serious problem like a broken arm
is unconscious and needs protection
is in a life-threatening situation, such as a severe asthma attack.
First aid saves lives
In any emergency situation, such as a sudden severe illness or a serious injury, you need to get medical help. Call straight away and ask for an ambulance.
If you need to give first aid to keep a child alive until medical help arrives, you need to know the basic life support steps. A simple way to remember the order of the steps you need to take with first aid is the letters DRS ABCD. These stand for:
Dangers?
Responsive?
Send for help
Airway
Breathing
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR
Defibrillation
Other first aid
Even if a baby’s or child’s life is not immediately at risk, it’s still very important to know what steps you can take to give them appropriate care when needed.
Some of the most common causes of injuries in young children include:
falls, such as tripping when running or falling from a bike or a bunk bed
burns, caused by hot water, fire or exposure to sun
poisoning from touching, swallowing or breathing in harmful substances such as medicines, glue or household chemicals
drowning.
Knowing how to give first aid, and having a first aid kit available, will help you be prepared for these types of situations.
It’s also a good idea to have phone numbers handy, such as the numbers for:
emergency services or your doctor.
Where to learn first aid
You can learn how to do first aid by attending face-to-face training, or by doing an online course.
First aid kits
First aid kits contain many of the things needed to treat common injuries. Basic first aid kits usually include:
materials like plastic strips, swabs, bandages, dressing pads and tape
instruments such as scissors and tweezers
medications such as antiseptic, pain relievers and bottles of saline eye irrigation solution
safety equipment such as disposable gloves for you to wear to prevent infection
a thermal blanket to keep an injured or ill person warm.
You can buy ready-made kits from; some chemists, service stations and other retail
Once you have a kit, you can customise it to suit your needs. For example, if you have a baby, you might want to include a digital thermometer and pain relief medication suitable for infants.
Make sure you keep your kit safe and dry, and check it regularly to make sure the contents are in good condition and within the use-by date.
It’s important for everyone to know some first aid. If you are a parent or carer, or you work with children, knowing what to do when a child is in distress or there is an emergency is especially important.
Child with a band-aid on his knee
Understanding how to use first aid techniques can be a vital skill for parents and carers.
What is first aid?
‘First aid’ means taking immediate action to help someone who has been injured, is involved in an accident or has a medical emergency, such as a heart attack.
Whether it is a baby, a child or an adult in need of care, the purpose of first aid is to keep someone alive, protect them from further harm, and do what you can to help them recover.
When do you need to use first aid?
When you are caring for babies or children, of course you do everything possible to keep them safe. However, accidents can still happen. While an accident could happen anywhere, most injuries to young children happen at home.
First aid can be useful in a range of situations. You might need to help a child who:
has a simple injury like a cut finger
has a more serious problem like a broken arm
is unconscious and needs protection
is in a life-threatening situation, such as a severe asthma attack.
First aid saves lives
In any emergency situation, such as a sudden severe illness or a serious injury, you need to get medical help. Call straight away and ask for an ambulance.
If you need to give first aid to keep a child alive until medical help arrives, you need to know the basic life support steps. A simple way to remember the order of the steps you need to take with first aid is the letters DRS ABCD. These stand for:
Dangers?
Responsive?
Send for help
Airway
Breathing
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR
Defibrillation
Other first aid
Even if a baby’s or child’s life is not immediately at risk, it’s still very important to know what steps you can take to give them appropriate care when needed.
Some of the most common causes of injuries in young children include:
falls, such as tripping when running or falling from a bike or a bunk bed
burns, caused by hot water, fire or exposure to sun
poisoning from touching, swallowing or breathing in harmful substances such as medicines, glue or household chemicals
drowning.
Knowing how to give first aid, and having a first aid kit available, will help you be prepared for these types of situations.
It’s also a good idea to have phone numbers handy, such as the numbers for:
emergency services or your doctor.
Where to learn first aid
You can learn how to do first aid by attending face-to-face training, or by doing an online course.
First aid kits
First aid kits contain many of the things needed to treat common injuries. Basic first aid kits usually include:
materials like plastic strips, swabs, bandages, dressing pads and tape
instruments such as scissors and tweezers
medications such as antiseptic, pain relievers and bottles of saline eye irrigation solution
safety equipment such as disposable gloves for you to wear to prevent infection
a thermal blanket to keep an injured or ill person warm.
You can buy ready-made kits from; some chemists, service stations and other retail
Once you have a kit, you can customise it to suit your needs. For example, if you have a baby, you might want to include a digital thermometer and pain relief medication suitable for infants.
Make sure you keep your kit safe and dry, and check it regularly to make sure the contents are in good condition and within the use-by date.
@63732cbd573f5c0015bc4fa4 @616fd99c4c00f90013b6c3b9 @616fd999d9ea3600147c4b49 @616d9c8d8054f30013c5b95a @606bde674afb0c001b788047 @616fd99b8a1b2800130a3cd0 @6373dfba54f38600167abc51 @616fd99e08557900145bf49d @6373dfbec73ea000153eea69 @616fd99dade2a900132687da @6373dfc1d8599f0016fe336b @616fd9a6acbcc10013b55050 @6373dfc4d8599f0016fe336e @616fd9ae91df97001316cf02 @616d062ac1b4770013bc727e @6247946051de3d0014c4c1ce @6373ddb94d2bbd00151fb151 @616fd9b1ade2a90013268811 @616fd9834c00f90013b6c361 @603c7308c235da0014cd3fb7 @6373d18ec1a0730015308e75 @6373d0d7c73ea000153ee744 @616fd986acbcc10013b54fe3 @63713f982338f60015eaa17b @616d9f80c1b4770013bd1129 @61dbd6dada536000136e401c @5f6dff3dabe65c004692f6fa @5fc71897f7390a00455c4cd4 @616d0635b986a1001396684b @60f07c2c8c243b0013a7b85c @616d91049dc2de0015c70fff @59b295be876b146ae257529c @6372d6e5649d8300169049d4 @5b0fd99c553db0564fb76cf0 @629847e308f7c30014119c82 @6372d9a03f31520016a69f94 @5a3cf70940e68736e8b993ec @6372be89649d83001690490b @6372999217d2c800158d8bec @616d0591b34e550013eb9a72 @636c8fae21791e0017462f8d @616da14c8054f30013c5bccd @616d0697202a1a001308d3f5 @63729b593f31520016a69b80 @616d5a27c1b4770013bcb718 @616d51e8ca67e40013aa9222 @616d8ebc791e5a0013a08712 @5fd88d539941ed0013923012 @5f5223878cd1250045aff374 @5b889d892281837db1ad3172 @60002e11166b54001363c48e @5ff6040828f9fc001357779f @5fc0a9623eb92f0050254fa9 @6057345b641e05001a728bbe @60e883cd8c243b0013a10d7c @5b61fbe551c9b438dddaa20d @6372dce4d28b060015d965bd @6372c1453f31520016a69ec3 @61321b91c71eba0013440537 @616d513246822a001361ecaa @6144cee06af17d001b45cf33 @616da0fdb986a10013970156 @5fc7041c81c8e80046a7de07 @60aa86ada63ade001bdd17ec @616da1b19dc2de0015c722b3 @616d55db46822a001361f292 @616d8ea3c1b4770013bcfa30 @5f6df810c0de030045721a33 @5f6e0765abe65c0046934504 @616d05d3b986a1001396682d @63729cb62338f60015eaef4c @616df61eb34e550013eceff8 @6372ac6198dafd001537b4c9 @616d91b7c1b4770013bcfdd7 @616d51179dc2de0015c6e0a8 @616da0fa46822a0013624488 @616d8e6c9dc2de0015c70cc3 @637331fd98dafd001537c8b9 @637296a3649d83001690452e @616d06038054f30013c5464b @60bdc14ce1f162001a1ac395 @6124ec0053198d0013c10770 @616d9ef0c1b4770013bd10b5 ; @6052348dfe2a68001c274ac1 @5fedec01cccb6d0014097596 @616d55769dc2de0015c6e487 @616d5a509dc2de0015c6e8cf @5aeac68b4254fb0eaec98c50 @616d5b1846822a001361f751 @6372dd39d28b060015d965c9 @616d537ec1b4770013bcb191 @6372b21bd28b060015d963ce @63713e1bd28b060015d9141e @636df71198dafd0015369b57 @616d06038054f30013c5464b @63729c6b98dafd001537b311 @616d91b7c1b4770013bcfdd7 @6372d8dd17d2c800158d9008 @616d5b1846822a001361f751 @5f6e04beabe65c0046932bb8 @612799345386200013150569 @6372d9a02338f60015eaf323 @6373dfcad8599f0016fe3370 @637140eed28b060015d91489 @610c2e0b1fb553001b3023e7 @6373d4bbc73ea000153ee841 @6372aafd17d2c800158d8dd1 @6372b160649d830016904816 @616d5369ca67e40013aa942b @6373bc6dc0619e0015460a73 @6373d4c1c73ea000153ee846 @6373d4beee172a00154a0108 @616d8ee7ca67e40013aaf16a @6373c917ee172a001549fdda @6373d4b54d2bbd00151faf96 @6373d4b7c73ea000153ee83c @6373d4b8c73ea000153ee83e @6373d547ee172a00154a0132 @6125bf8cb4040e0013f20384 @6373c25725a4b30015e79f95 @6373dc1b54f38600167abbd9 @6373d45a562cd100155a627c @6373d79b54f38600167abb0d @6373dfd34d2bbd00151fb1af @6373dfd54d2bbd00151fb1b1 @6106b74d7880d6001a3de79b @6373d4aaee172a00154a00fc @6373d4a908ae34001598fb6d @6373d10b562cd100155a61c1 @6373d4acee172a00154a00fe @6373d4a9c0619e00154610dd @6373d4b4c0619e00154610e6 @6373dfd754f38600167abc56 @6373d4add8599f0016fe3172 @6373dfdad8599f0016fe3374 @6373dfddc0619e0015461318 @6373d4b125a4b30015e7a489 @616d9246b34e550013ec240b @6373dfe0c0619e001546131a @6373d4b3c0619e00154610e2 @616d5d34b986a1001396a55d @6373bec24d2bbd00151faa03 @6372dcc43f31520016a69fb6 @616d90cf5988200013dc7b2e @6373bb51562cd100155a5c3a @6372c1e998dafd001537b61a @6373dfe4562cd100155a64c8
Like
Reply
Arushi Arora
Like
Reply
28 Dec 2017