Did you know that the home is the most likely place for your child to be injured? Having a baby or toddler is unfortunately a key time for accidents to occur. Flailing arms knocking mugs of coffee off surfaces, excitable little ones clashing heads at the soft play, not to mention all those scraped knees, the phrase “eyes in the back of your head” has never been so apt. With the best will in the world accidents will happen, that’s life, and to show you how common it is in 2020, over 60,000 children were admitted to hospital in the UK after a preventable accident. Panic not, we asked Martin Lacey from Mini First Aid to shares his top tips for treating head bumps, burns and more.
How to treat head bumps
- If your little one bumps his/her head, use a cold compress (either from the fridge or a wet paper towel / t-shirt – anything clean that you can grab!) and apply to the bump for 10 minutes. During the 10 minutes encourage your toddler to rest and relax – perhaps read a story so you can monitor them
- Any signs of sickness, drowsiness, dizziness or unnatural behaviour could be concussion. You need to take get your little one to A & E as soon as possible if you notice any of these symptoms.
- If you are leaving your child with a carer after a head bump make sure you inform them so that they can continue to monitor your little one for any signs of concussion.
Dealing with burns
- Before cooling, carefully remove any clothing or jewellery near the burn, unless it is melted or firmly stuck to the wound. Hot liquid can run into nappies, socks and shoes so remove these too
- Run the affected area under cool (not cold) water for 20 minutes. Depending on the size of the burn, this may need to be in the shower. It will be uncomfortable for your child, so keep the rest of their body as warm as possible and reassure them that this will help it hurt less
- Cover the burn with clingfilm, or a sterile, non-fluffy dressing or cloth
- Keep your child warm (not the burnt area) and take them to A&E
What do if your child is choking
There are different techniques for babies and children over the age of 1.
Choking baby (age 0-1):
- 5 back slaps
- Up to 5 chest thrusts (jabbing motion). Check if anything comes out. If nothing has come out, call 999
- Cycles of 5 back slaps & 5 chest thrusts
Check out this video for more info on First Aid for a choking baby.
Child over 1:
- Encourage your child to cough
- 5 back slaps between shoulder blades. Check if anything comes out and check mouth
- Up to 5 abdominal thrusts. Clenched fist between tummy and breastbone, with other hand over the top. In and upwards motion. Check if anything comes out. If nothing has come out, call 999
- Cycles of 5 back slaps and 5 abdominal thrusts
- You must refer any child to hospital where abdominal/chest thrusts have been used.
Watch this video to familiarise yourself with First Aid for a choking child.
How to handle bleeding
- If blood can come out, germs can get in! No matter how insignificant the bleeding, and even if only a graze, first aid treatment is required
- Clean the wound with water or a non-alcohol cleansing wipe to remove grit and dirt
- Once clean, use an appropriate sized plaster to cover the grazed or cut area
Prevent an accident in the first place
We always say at Mini First Aid that prevention is better than cure. Our Baby Proofing class will help you see your home through the eyes of your toddler, creating a bespoke plan to prevent first aid accidents before they happen. With a handy refresher on choking and burns, it’s the ideal class for parents of babies and toddlers.
You can also sign up to Mini First Aid’s weekly newsletter for first aid and health advice to keep your family safe and happy!
About Martin and Mini First Aid
Mini First Aid are the largest paediatric first aid company in the UK, training 1000’s of families in life-saving first aid every single week. My name is Martin, and I cover North and East London, helping Mini First Aid highlight the importance of quality First Aid training. I am a father of two with over twenty years’ experience as a workplace and sports first aid provider.
Following being made redundant in September 2018 and desperate for a change of work routine, my wife introduced me to Mini First Aid. Having always enjoyed my first aid roles over the years, and wanting a new challenge, I took the plunge and joined the team. Fortunately, there was an area available in London, and so Mini First Aid North London was born.
I have been up and running now since January 2019, and during this time have been lucky to have met and helped thousands of new parents, grandparents, carers, and children, not to mention getting to meet the newest members of their family! I love being able to help people feel more confident about dealing with life’s little lumps and bumps. What started off as an opportunity to run our 2-hour Baby & Child Classes has now grown to allow me to run Qualification Classes covering both Paediatric and Workplace First Aid and to teach children from as young as three. Teaching children has become a real passion of mine and I think it is vitally important to start teaching them about First Aid from a young age. I work with a selection of schools across North London, helping them to introduce First Aid to their children. Our sessions are fun and interactive and can be enjoyed both face to face and online. I love what I do, and it is refreshing to be able to bring lifesaving skills to everyone in a friendly relaxed environment.
Want to learn more about First Aid? Get in touch with Martin or one of his Mini First Aid colleagues in your area.
