Q&A about first aid for babies and children with the Head of First Aid at The British Red Cross - Answers back

[RachelMumsnet]

We're joined this week for a Q&A with Joe Mulligan, Head of First Aid at British Red Cross, who is going to be answering your questions on First Aid for babies and children. Joe has spent over 25 years working in emergency care and educating the public in the importance of learning first aid.

Joe says: "First aid can be a daunting subject for many parents in fact, its easy to learn and absolutely fundamental in dealing with an emergency situation. Many think that accidents only happen to other people. But with inquisitive children, this natural curiosity will lead them to explore everything within their reach. So it?s important that parents become more aware of their surroundings during this particular stage of their development and take the time to learn first aid skills that could save a child?s life."

Send in your questions to Joe before 5pm on Friday 20th January and we'll be linking back to his answers from this thread on 1st February.

The British Red Cross offers first aid advice and various course suggestions for you to consider including the first aid for baby and child course. The course includes what to do if your child was unconscious (breathing and not breathing), choking, drowning, how to deal with bleeding, burns and scalds, sprains and strains. You will also be taught the signs and symptoms of meningitis and how to handle head injuries, severe allergic reaction and swallowing of harmful substance. It takes just 5-hours to complete.

To book a first aid training course visit: redcrossfirstaidtraining.co.uk
Or call 0844 412 2808 (quote: mumsnet)

For those who can?t attend a course the British Red Cross offer free help on treating a wide range of baby and children first aid emergencies visit: childrenfirstaid.redcross.org.uk

This Q&A has been sponsored by the British Red Cross

Febrile convulsions - what to do to prevent them and what to do if they happen (apart from call an ambulance if it's their first ever).

What really should we do about fevers? There is so much conflicting advice here on Mumsnet and elsewhere about paracetamol and ibuprofen along with whether to just let a fever alone!

Hello

Having suffered bad burns myself and recently with stress and tiredness causing two bad burns. I wondered whether to buy some burn gel ?

Apart from cooling the burn what is the best procedure ?

My toddler split tea on himself and we managed to cool it down under running cool water and then put on aloe vera there wasnt any redness at all after. Im more slap dash when it comes to myself though !

Also can you link to best family first aid kit thanks

I wanted to know if different burns need to be treated differently? Or is it all the same no matter how the burn occurs?
Do we still just remove the cause, cool with water & dress it with something clean, or has it all changed? Do we still use cling film?
It's so confusing.

Hi

Could you tell me what the new cpr procedure means for paediatric resuscitation. Does this mean we no longer do breathes for babies and young children.

Thank you

Can you recommend a really good baby and child first aid/ health care bible?- a really big detailed one with loads of photos eg of rashes etc. I have scoured the shops for one with no joy, but surely it must exist?

When did the CPR prcedure change? I see now that it is recommended that you don't do the breaths, but just do the chest compressions. Is this correct?

Yes, that Vinnie Whatsisname ad . Surely there's not much point giving chest compressions if his airway is compromised? What about ensuring your own safety? Not much point giving chest compressions if you're also electrocuted the moment you touch him! What about checking if he is even unconscious? Or has a pulse?

Very

And

On a different subject:

There is an obsession about babies choking on lumps and on objects in general. I would like to see a bit more education and a bit less hysteria about this. People need to know the difference between choking and gagging. And not to panic. If babies are allowed the opportunity to mouth small objects, they learn to manipulate them safely and are less likely to choke. Im not advocating giving babies beads and such like to play with, and obviously they should not be left alone with small objects, nor allowed to mouth them when lying on their backs, but there is no need to panic when a baby puts something in his mouth.

I'm sure you know that babies do not choke on objects or lumps exclusively. Many people seem to think that purees are 'safe'. Two of my dc choked on purees at 8-9m and went blue. Fortunately I knew what to do, and they were fine.

My husband's uncle was an A&E doctor - not a paediatrician - and told MIL never to give first aid to her children as he'd seen many children brought to the hospital who had had first aid wrongly done which had made things worse. He said she should just get to a doctor asap. Now, MIL, DH et al are all very anti First Aid.

What do you think of this?

How should you deal with bumps to the head (of varying severity)? Specifically: should you put anything on a lump? How do you recognise and deal with concussion?

What should I have in my first aid kit? (I have a toddler)

I am confused by the new CPR procedure. I wish there was a more informative part to the new 'Vinnie' advert- maybe a voiceover at the end.

To those of us whose first aid training took place before the procedure changed it is really confusing.

Can you clarify the new procedure please, and explain why the mouth breaths are no longer used (I find it much easier to remember stuff if I actually understand it).

I have a second question. I am dismayed by the amount of people who think it is best not to try to administer first aid for fear of getting it wrong and being sued. Can you comment on this point of view please?

I was wondering what support is available for people who have been a first aider in a traumatic situation.
Having performed CPR twice in my life, it would be nice to know that you can have a debrief with someone or even just to offload about what has happened.

I'm also confused by the new CPR procedure - I remember reading that baby CPR should be mouth-to-mouth first, as more often the problem is breathing-related than heart-related. But Vinnie says no kissing! It's a complete minefield, and its this sort of confusion that makes people end up doing nothing.

My friedn did the red cross baby first aid course in E14 but she said it was quite intimidating and a bit of a lecture. I think it would be much better if red cross people would come to our houses and train us on what to do 'in situ' - and maybe give advice about baby safety issues in your house. Instead of getting the girls round for botox parties, we could do first aid parties instead (note to self : I may patent that idea) :)

What essential first aid 'kit' do you think parents should keep at home?

I'll also be really interested to read your response about how to treat burns and what to do when babies and young children have a fever.

I am sure Joe will answer the CPR questions but don't forget, if you ever find yourself doing CPR on someone you will be on the phone to the ambulance service at the same time and they will tell you what to do and when to do it. Round here the ambulance service call takers have been instructing people to do straight chest compressions for quite some time.

Even so kerry they can and do pass on messages to the "first aider" if they are unsure on what to do.

How long do you leave a gusher of a nosebleed in a small child,which won't stop,before seeking help,and should that be an ambulance at any point?

Also interested in the essential home first aid kit.

The guidelines haven't changed for children - mouth to mouth & chest compressions are still needed. Hypoxia (lack of oxygen) is the most common reason for a child's heart to stop. I have just completed my paediatric life support course...!

Not wanting to hijack thread but - if you ring an ambulance for certain situations yes we advise breaths first, everything else compressions and we say 600. It's do with something like after 30 compressions it's only just getting everything going and then you stop. But in the first aid/CPR course I was told differently. We don't ask people to check for a pulse just if the person is breathing as pulse can be hard to find. I think the new Vinnie advert is to encourage people who wouldn't want to do CPR because they think they HAVE to breathe. Anything is better than nothing

I haven't seen the vinnie ad we're not in the uk, but faintly interested that they've changed the guidelines again, as over the years I've been taught a few different things.

I'd just like to know why basic first aid isn't taught in schools tbh. It's covered by lots of uniformed youth organizations, (cubs, guides, whatever) and if you start giving children basic info from v early you remove the fear factor. It also stays with them. I could be wrong though, it already could be part of the pshe curriculum? We've been out of the country for a while. It just often seems like a bit of a money spinner to have to pay to go on courses etc, when really it's not very specialist and could easily be taught in schools. Much more useful than than some of the stuff deemed essential by the powers that be...

I would like to know to what extent CPR performed on children and on adults is actually successful? Do success rates differ between the two groups?

Having had direct (and very traumatic) experience of performing CPR on an adult to no avail, only to be told later that there was nothing that would have worked and that CPR / resus / shocks don't have the same success rate as you might believe if you watch hospital dramas on telly (when nearly everyone seems to be brought back from the dead).

I'm not saying that people shouldn't do CPR but am just interested in the stats - having been under the impression that we would do CPR, then paramedics would do the paddles and everything would come good it was pretty horrendous to witness the opposite.

What happens if you try to help a casualty, but cause harm to them? Can they sue you? Could your actions be classified as an assault? Does it make any difference whether you have any formal First Aid training, or whether that training is current?

What if, in trying to help a casualty, you cause harm or damage to something unrelated - breaking a window or scratching a car, say? Who would be responsible for that?