baby first aid
As a new parent you'll take every precaution to avoid accidents around the home with your little one, but it helps to know the first-aid basics if something unexpected does happen.
If your baby has an accident, it's important to keep calm and not panic. Keeping calm will help reassure your baby and allow you to think clearly and assess the situation to see if you can cope on your own. Trust your instincts. If you are still worried, then call your doctor or health visitor, or pop into the surgery. During the night or at a weekend, call your doctor's out-of-hours service or visit your local hospital's accident and emergency department.
Invest in a comprehensive first-aid kit and it's also a good idea to take a first-aid course to give yourself confidence that you can cope with minor injuries. For details of first-aid courses near you contact your local branch of first aid charity St. John's Ambulance
www.sja.org.uk or The British Red Cross
www.redcross.org.uk.There are lots of things you can do to prevent accidents from occurring in the first place, such as babyproofing your home with stair gates, fire guards, door stops and window locks. However, knowing the first-aid basics will help you cope if you are faced with an incident.
falls and bumps
Falls and bumps are all too frequent with little ones. Reduce the risk wherever possible by taking simple safety measures. For example, strap your little one into high chairs and pushchairs, and never put baby carriers and seats on places where they can fall.
The most worrying type of fall is when your baby hits his head. If this happens, and he falls unconscious – no matter how briefly – or vomits, or stays floppy, see a doctor as soon as possible. If he stops breathing, give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and then take him to hospital immediately. If you think your baby may have broken a bone or is injured internally, don't move him unless he is in immediate danger. Call your GP or dial 999.
scalds and burns
Wash your hands before dealing with cuts.
If the cut is dirty, rinse it gently under cold
running water.
For more serious accidents, take your baby to hospital as soon as possible.
Urgent medical attention - dialing 999 (in the UK) and asking for an ambulance - is needed if your baby:
stops breathing or goes blue
does not respond and shows no awareness of what is going on
has glazed eyes and does not focus on anything
cannot be woken
may have a broken bone or you suspect an internal injury.
If you think your baby may have broken a
bone or is injured internally, don't move him
unless he is in immediate danger. Call your
GP or dial 999.
Minimise the risk of your baby being burned by positioning him away from kettles, saucepans, fires and hot drinks. However, if an accident does happen, taking prompt action can reduce the risk of long-term damage to the skin.
For minor scalds and burns:
Immerse the burned area immediately in cold, running water. Do this for up to 10 minutes
Remove any clothing from the affected area before it starts to swell but not anything that has stuck to the burn
Cover the area with a clean (ideally sterile), non-fluffy material (a clean tea towel will do if you don't have a medical dressing)
Get medical help – call your GP or dial 999.
choking
Choking is caused by blockage of any part of the airway. Most cases occur because food or drink 'goes down the wrong way' and enters the airways rather than into the digestive system. If it is a minor obstruction and your baby can still cough, cry and breathe, coughing will often sort the problem out.
For more serious burns:
If your baby's clothes are on fire, wrap him in a blanket and roll him on the ground to put out the flames
Don't try to remove clothing stuck to burns
Seek urgent medical attention. Take your baby to hospital for anything other than a very small scald or burn.
In the event of a severe blockage, your baby will be unable to cry, cough or breathe, so lay him face down across your forearm with his head low down, supporting his back and head. Give him five back blows to the back with the heel of your hand. Check his mouth for any obvious obstructions but do not do a finger sweep of the mouth. This could push the obstruction further into his throat.
If the blockage is still present, turn your baby onto his back and administer five chest thrusts. Using two fingers, push inwards and upwards against baby's breastbone one finger's breadth below the nipple line.
After three cycles of back blows and chest thrusts, if the airwaves have not been unblocked, dial 999 and ask for ambulance, but continue to attempt to remove the blockage until help arrives.
cuts and bleeding
Some parts of the body can bleed profusely – such as the side of the head – even if the cut is not particularly deep. This can be alarming, but try to keep calm and take the following measures to stop bleeding.
For a simple cut: wash your hands before dealing with cuts. If the cut is dirty, rinse it gently under cold running water. Dry the cut with sterile gauze and then cover it with a plaster.
For a deeper cut: raise the area of the body that has been cut. Place a sterile dressing and press firmly on the cut to stop the bleeding. Keep the dressing in place, even if blood seeps through. Put another dressing on top. Seek medical help as soon as possible by calling your GP or an ambulance.
Ask your health visitor or doctor if a tetanus injection is needed. If your little one's immunisations are up to date this is unlikely.