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Original poster

PLEASE - ALL PARENTS - TAKE IT UPON YOURSELF TO DO A FIRST AID COURSE - PARTICULARLY A BABY FIRST AID ONE

29 replies

VeniVidiVickiQV · 26/07/2006 18:59

I have needed to use an aspect of baby first aid on my son. I was glad I knew what to do.

If you have done an adult first aid course but have a baby - you need to be aware that a baby's physiology is quite different to an adults in many respects and you dont do the same things (ie a baby's airway will kink and block it if you tilt the head back like you would an adult to do mouth to mouth).

Please please PLEASE - take the time and effort to learn this skill for your children. It only takes a few hours of your life so that you may save your child life in future.

Thank you.

OP posts:
hub2dee · 26/07/2006 19:22

Anyone done a course with these people ? (The Parent Company)

Original poster
VeniVidiVickiQV · 26/07/2006 19:28

Thanks hub.....

Maybe mnhq can get this on the homepage for a bit of awareness????

OP posts:
Original poster
VeniVidiVickiQV · 26/07/2006 19:51

..

OP posts:
ComeOVeneer · 26/07/2006 19:54

As part of my job I do a yearly refresher which covers all aspects of first aid for all ages. QV what did you need to do (and I am so pleased you were able to deal with it)?

Original poster
VeniVidiVickiQV · 26/07/2006 19:59

Had to remove a piece of blue playdough that DD had shoved down DS's throat to "feed" him.

It was the first time I had left her alone in the room with him since he was born. He was about 2 or 3 months old - i forget now. (Trying to blank it out I think).

He went straight across my knees and I slapped his back quite heartily......and it worked, obviously.

OP posts:
Skribble · 26/07/2006 21:23

The course I did covered CPR for all ages including babies, it is quite different to adult CPR, I am even trained in auto defribulators, Hope I never have to use one of them.

Chandra · 26/07/2006 21:30

I took a paediatric first aid course aimed at paediatric nurses, childcare staff and childminders (and some over worrying mums like me ) anyways, it only took two days an it was very thorough, and more realistic too... In the other two small talks presented at our mother and baby group, the presenters seemed a bit afraid of stressing the consequences of not acting ASAP.

Beetle73 · 26/07/2006 21:35

I did a baby FAC with St John Ambulance nearly 2 years ago, just after DD was born. Like other FAC I did years ago, most of it just vanished from my head immediately. They gave us a book which I have tried to pick up now and then, but you've made me think that I should check for a website that would keep it fresh. It's one thing doing the course, but another thing remembering it when the time comes.

Original poster
VeniVidiVickiQV · 26/07/2006 21:41

Guidelines and procedures change here and there so it is worth keeping up to date.

OP posts:
psychomum5 · 26/07/2006 21:43

I have done many baby first aid courses, I had to while working as a nanny, but sad to say most is now forgotten so I would be of no use. I will definatley go book one for myself.

that said.....the reason mine os forgotten is that I am very fortunate never to have had need to use it often enough to rememmber it. I did once have to resusitate a 1yr old tho (and did), and was told well done when the ambulance came, but it wasn't my child. any injury by my own kiddies turns me into a headless chicken!!!!

am going to sort out a refresher course tho, and maybe should then keep updated yearly knowing my memory ATM

Beetle73 · 26/07/2006 21:46

Just found a good interactive test on BBC - obviously not as good as a training course, but better than nothing.
here

Chandra · 26/07/2006 21:46

VVV, very right! resucitation advice has changed significantly in the last 2-3 years (no more 2000 & 1, 200o&2 and so on) I had a course at work a couple of weeks ago (I work in the NHS) and it differed from the instruction given to me in previous courses)

Enid · 26/07/2006 21:48

i did one after dd2 choked on a sweet in the street

she went blue

it was terrifying

I put her over my arm and whacked her back and she spewed it out - was instinctive though I had no idea

have doen course now

my2shoesare2hot · 26/07/2006 21:52

i am going to suggest this to our community worker(HA) to see if a course could be run for parents

Chandra · 26/07/2006 21:52

Psychomum, the persons who have presented the courses I took said:

  1. Nobody has ever being brought to court in this country by helping in dangerous situation (that was someone from the ambulance service) and..

  2. That you have to weight the circumstances, if the person is not breathing, whatever you do is better than nothing, they could die before the ambulance arrives, this is particularly true about children (that was from some person from the Crash Team from a hospital).

Original poster
VeniVidiVickiQV · 26/07/2006 21:53

Yes the repetitions have changed I think.

The not tilting the head back like you would an adult is a very important thing to know IMO.

Frightening, isnt it Enid? Although I too was pleased to know I reacted calmly and did the right thing.

OP posts:
psychomum5 · 26/07/2006 21:57

ahh...that is reassuring chandra. tis nice to know that any help is appreciated.

see....should I be needed to tomorrow, I may well be right there doing exactly the right thing. but equally i may stand there and brick myself too.

course will be taken, and am thinking about roping friends in to it too....maybe we can swap kiddies about while others go and vice versa???

KBear · 26/07/2006 22:02

hub - The Parent Company run first aid for babies courses in my workplace.

I did a first aid for under 8's course after my DS had a fit and stopped breathing (twice). Wanted to know I could revive him if necessary and it put my mind at rest about choking and other things too. He choked on a grape recently and I sprang into action and it shot across the floor.

Tutter · 26/07/2006 22:03

hub2dee yes i organised a first aid course from the parent company for me, dh and a few NCT friends. really good - great lady who ran our evening course. practical sensible advice plus a laminated sheet that i have in the pram at all times. would recommend them. if you are near here (SW london) i would recommend the girl we had.

hub2dee · 26/07/2006 22:10

Fab idea: Some of the course organisers (Red Cross / St John's Ambulance / The Parent Company etc.) have scheduled courses one can attend, but often they send trainers to a 'parent organised' session where someone has brought together a set of friends / relatives / NCT buddies etc. IYSWIM.

MN could act as a great conduit in getting increased numbers of people to attend a life-saving first aid course: It would be v. easy to post / co-ordinate 'First Aid course - North London - space for 6 more people - Next Sunday,' for example. (Sometimes it's a bit of a pain trying to get your mates all available one weekend IYSWIM and it never happens... the MN 'universe' is so much larger it will be much easier to make it happen IYSWIM, plus you'd get to meet a few MNers too). I imagine an approach from MN HQ to the marketeers / course organisers for these organisations would be well received.

IMHO it would also be a neat thing to organise for an antenatal / postnatal thread too ('June / July / August 06 parents - First Aid course in Manchester')...

hub2dee · 26/07/2006 22:14

Tutter - will CAT, though I'm N. London... I expect the staff for the Parent Company are freelance IYSWIM, not perm. employed, so it might be good to know that a particular person was particularly fab... (IIRC they employ nurses with experience of emergency pediatrics... there's info about them on their site).

KBear - do you know if work colleagues thought the course was especially good ? I wonder how they compare with the more 'mainstream' SJA / Red Cross IYSWIM...

LittleB · 26/07/2006 22:23

I did a baby first aid course when I was pregnant (I've been qualified in adult first aid for years). I did this with the St. Johns ambulance, cost £15 and a Suturday morning (just over a year ago). Why don't they do this as part of antenatal courses, it would be so much more useful than watching birth videos and would save lives. They should at least recommend it and give you details, much more useful than most of the other info they give pregnant women!

KBear · 26/07/2006 22:49

hub - I will ask around for feedback!

hub2dee · 26/07/2006 23:04

Many thanks grizzly one.

KBear · 26/07/2006 23:14

ackchewly I am a pink and white fluffy bear with a bow in my hair as opposed to a grizzly one but you weren't to know .

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