There is lots of prep work to be done when getting ready to
welcome a new baby. There’s hospital
bags to be packed and seemingly endless lists of baby items to be purchased,
some absolute necessities, others not so much.
For me, both as a parent and as an instructor, probably top of the
necessity list is a paediatric first aid course. The peace of mind this training offers is
invaluable, particularly, I found when introducing solid foods to my
babies.
Thankfully, we’ve managed to
escape relatively unscathed in the accident department but my First Aid
training was called into play recently when my 7year-old sustained a head
injury in a fall. My training enabled me
to remain calm and feel relatively confident in knowing what to do, even while looking
at my child’s skull!
Recent research commissioned by the Irish Red Cross
indicates that 80% of adults fear dealing with first aid emergencies such as
head injuries, the ingestion of harmful substances or anaphylactic shock. It further suggests that the majority of
adults do not believe that they would be able to respond correctly to eight out
of thirteen emergency first aid situations.
Household emergencies involving children can occur at any time. From falls, burns and choking to the danger
of electrical shocks, there are any number of unexpected occurrences that can
injure a child. Head of First Aid Training with the Irish Red Cross, Danny
Curran, says that “lives can be saved when you are able to treat injuries and
illness quickly”.
There are lots of first aid kits on the market, from basic
right through to more advanced kits, but if you don’t wish to invest, you can
always gather your own supplies.
So, what should your household First Aid Kit
contain?
• Plasters for treating small, everyday cuts.
• Bandages for larger cuts. Bandages can also help secure an injured limb.
• Safety pins to keep the bandage in place.
• Sterile wound dressings to help prevent infection of an exposed wound.
• Non-alcoholic disinfectant wipes to clean wounds.
• Scissors to cut away clothing and to cut bandages to size.
• Examination gloves should always be worn as a barrier to infection.
• Sterile water to clean wounds.
• Pocket face mask for carrying out CPR.
• Burns dressings, which act as a cooling method and also help prevent infection.
• Bandages for larger cuts. Bandages can also help secure an injured limb.
• Safety pins to keep the bandage in place.
• Sterile wound dressings to help prevent infection of an exposed wound.
• Non-alcoholic disinfectant wipes to clean wounds.
• Scissors to cut away clothing and to cut bandages to size.
• Examination gloves should always be worn as a barrier to infection.
• Sterile water to clean wounds.
• Pocket face mask for carrying out CPR.
• Burns dressings, which act as a cooling method and also help prevent infection.
Every member of the family should be familiar with where
the First Aid Kit is kept and children should be taught how to phone emergency
services and aask for help.
We were recently joined at The Baby Room by Ciara Dowling
of Early Years First Aid, where her 2hour Baby First Aid and 4hour Paediatric First
Aid classes were an incredible success.
Both courses cover CPR, choking, wounds, head injuries, fractures,
sprains and strains, burns, temperature control, allergic reactions, seizures,
childhood illnesses and lots more and offer a 2-year certification. We look forward to working with Ciara in the
future to bring skills, confidence and lifesaving knowledge to parents and care
givers in Carlow.
For more
information, you can contact Ciara at www.earlyyearsfirstaid. The Irish Red Cross App is free to
download for your Smartphone and tablet and can be accessed at www.redcross.ie/firstaidapp
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