| First Aid (see also Allergy, Babysitting, Childcare, First Aid Kit, Medicines, Meningitis, Nannyboard, Poisoning, Post Accident Support) Knowing how to give on-the-spot help can save a life. Learn some basic first aid. Enrol on a course run by the British Red Cross or the St John Ambulance Brigade in England, and the St Andrew’s Ambulance Association in Scotland. (Find your local branches in the phone book.) Also remember that children may be ready to learn simple first aid from the age of 8. The basic rule of thumb in first aid is to stay calm and think. Firstly, you should recognise when you are dealing with an emergency. Dial 999 or rush to hospital if: • A child has a convulsion OR stops breathing • a child is or was unconscious • a child is being sick several times or seems drowsy • a child has difficulty breathing • a child has serious burns • a baby becomes blue on the lips or face • you suspect poisoning • you cannot stop the bleeding • there is severe pain • there is bleeding from an ear • has symptoms of meningitis Contact your doctor the following morning if your baby • misses a couple of feeds, seems listless – lacks energy, much sleepier than usual, or otherwise unresponsive • vomits for more than one hour • has diarrhea lasting more than one day or blood in the nappy • develops an unexplained rash • seems feverish, hot and clammy If baby stops breathing Resuscitation is best learned with a qualified instructor. Techniques for babies are different from those used with children and adults. Call for help IMMEDAITELY. 1. Check that all airways are clear and that there are no visible obstructions in the nose or throat Lie baby on her back, her head tilted back slightly and place your mouth over her nose and mouth. Breath (don’t blow) until you see the chest rise. Stop and allow chest to fall. Repeat breathing at a rate of about 20 breaths per minute. After every 20 breaths, check for a pulse. The best place to check is inside the upper arm . 2. If there is no pulse , or it is less than 60 beats per minute, place two fingertips in the centre of baby’s chest, a finger’s breadth below the nipples. Press down to a third of the depth of baby’s chest at a rate of 100 compressions a minute. After every five compressions, you will need to give baby one ‘breath’ by following step 1. Continue at a rate of five compressions to one breath until help arrives. Choking Call for help. If you can see the obstruction, try pulling it out. Do not poke a finger down or you could push it further in, damaging the mouth and throat. If you a dealing with a baby, lie him on his front along your forearm, his head lower than the rest of his body. Support his head and slap his back firmly between his shoulder blades. If this doesn’t work, turn baby onto her back, give five chest thrusts (as in resuscitation chest compressions) at a rate of 20 per minute - one thrust, then slowly count to three, then the next. Repeat back slaps, alternating with five chest thrusts, until blockage clears or help arrives. Burns and Scalds Hold the affected part under cold running water for at least 10 minutes.. If the child has tipped a kettle of water on themselves, carry them up to the shower and turn it on – cold water - clothes and all! Or put them in a cold bath. If serious call an ambulance Cover with a clean dressing, but nothing fibrous like cotton wool. If the burn is severe, wrap a pack of peas in a teatowel and apply that to the outside of the dressing. Seek medical advice . If blisters develop, let them burst naturally, never burst them yourself. Seek medical advice. Fever When babies are feverish, take off clothes to help them cool down; don’t wrap them up with extra layers. Wipe with a damp flannel both to freshen them up and reduce the temperature? Keep an eye on baby's temperature. For further information contact: www.childalert.co.uk does not take responsibility or liability for any loss damage costs claim or expense arising as a result of relying on information contained on this web site. The advice given is based on recommendations from independent experts. |