First aid skills all parents should know

Choking is extremely common and very frightening, but in most cases, with the right help, the casualty will make a full recovery.

Babies can choke on anything small enough to fit through a toilet roll.

Never be tempted to put your fingers down a baby's throat or finger sweep the mouth. This can make matters worse by pushing the obstruction further down or causing swelling.

If they are still choking, call the emergency services and start chest thrusts straight away.

For more information on how to prevent choking and how to give chest thrusts click here

What to do if your baby is unconscious and not breathing – CPRFirst check Danger, Response, open their Airway and check for Breathing – If you are not absolutely sure whether or not they are breathing properly, you should start CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation)

Carefully tilt the head and lift the chin to roughly a horizontal position to take the tongue off the back of the airway. Then give 5 rescue breaths to re-oxygenate them. Babies and children are much more likely to have had a breathing problem first and had a Respiratory Arrest – their heart will stop later.

Keep going

When you push on the chest – you are being the heart

When you breathe into them – you are being the lungs

If you are on your own, you should perform 1 minute's CPR before phoning for an ambulance (5 breaths, 30:2, 30:2 is about a minute). Continue until the paramedics arrive.

Click here for a Paediatric First Aid course

If your small child or baby starts fitting or having a seizure:

Do not try to pick them up or restrain them and do not be tempted to put anything in their mouth whilst they are fitting.

They should start breathing again extremely quickly and spontaneously, but ensure you are checking continually and are ready to give CPR if necessary.

When the seizure has finished it is likely the baby will appear confused and drowsy. If they are unresponsive, put them into the recovery position.

If the baby remains conscious during the seizure, it is important to ensure their safety, and to reassure them.

For more information on when to call an ambulance read the full article

Call 999 or 112 if a baby or child is injured and they lose consciousness, even momentarily.

Or if they:

If the child has not lost consciousness, is alert and behaving normally after the head injury:

Worrying signs:

It's fine for your child to go to sleep following a minor head injury, however do not confuse falling asleep with losing consciousness!

Burns can be particularly serious for small children and babies. They haven't yet developed the reflex to move away from something hot and their skin is up to 15 times thinner than that of an adult. Damage tends to be more severe because they have a smaller body surface area which means the burn often covers a larger proportion of their body.

Knowing what to do can radically reduce the amount of pain and scarring experienced. It can also mean a full recovery without even needing to be admitted.

Never:

For information on how to dress a burn

Young babies only have about a pint of blood in their bodies and so even losing equivalent to a small cup of blood could be extremely serious for them.

Lie the baby down – to manage shock and prevent them from feeling dizzy and faint

Examine the area to see if there is anything stuck in the wound – if there is do not remove it

Elevate the bleeding area above the level of the heart to slow down the bleeding

Pressure – apply direct pressure on the wound to stop the blood coming out.

Keep them warm and get emergency help. If the baby is pale, cold, clammy and showing signs of shock, or if there is a lot of blood – help their circulation by lying them down and raising their legs. Elevate the bleeding wound and apply direct pressure to control the bleeding.