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

I had my parent CPR (child and baby specific) before the guidelines changed. I'd like to know what exactly was the reason for the change?!
If it was out of concern for the health of those giving the CPR, esp. to strangers - that's one thing. But then, if, God forbid, I ever need to do this for my children (toddlers) or my husband, do I still avoid doing breathes for them?

Claire, I DID a first aid course, 3 years ago.

I'm asking the question I did because advice seems to have changed.

...or, and here's an idea. If you're confident in first aid, but the procedures have changed, why not ask a qualified professional?

Oh.. wait.

..and anyway, the CPR guidelines now say no breaths, don't they? Hence my question.

hiya i have got my emergency first aid certificate and feel it may not be valid for the 5 years because they no longer recommend CPR but basically i would love some voluntary work with st johns ambulance i live in bartley green and wondered if you couldinbox me with some information on this many many thanks

I see everyone is commenting about the new Vinnie Jones advert, I pressume this way of doing CPR is to encourage everyone to do it without confusing them about Breathing and Chest Compression's?

pretty candles, in germany, if you have first aid training and don't help a casualty/ stop at the scene of a car accident etc, you can be sued. i do recall a fuss some years ago about bruising being caused by a first aider (st john's?)who was trying (successfully) to stop someone choking, but can't remember if this was an urban myth.

MNHQ, when/where do we get the answers?

Hi marzipananimal

The A's are back and you can find them here

Best wishes

MNHQ

Great Q&A. I just wanted to let MNHQ know how good i thought i was. Very insightful. Good sensible answers and questions.

Thank you. Great Q&A

Excellent Q&A. Thanks MNHQ and The Red Cross.

Thanks for this, it's really useful

I have just passed my paediatric first aid course this morning, as it happens! And, they still recommend giving the breaths to friends and family - if it's a stranger, best do the compressions than nothing at all... You may not have anything to protect your mouth - contamination and wot not.

When resuscitating children the breaths are essential:

I run a First Aid Training Company - First Aid for Life - We are passionate about giving people the skills to confidently help in an emergency.
The Vinnie Jones Campaign has unfortunately caused major confusion. It was run by the British Heart Foundation to guide untrained individuals how to do something rather than nothing if someone has a Cardiac Arrest, there is no new advice stating that breaths are no longer necessary.
The British Resuscitation Council guidelines still state that to give someone the best chance you need to give breaths and chest compressions as otherwise after a few minutes you will be pushing de-oxygenated blood rather than oxygenated blood around the heart and brain.

If someone has had a breathing problem - choked, drowned, asthma attack, or suffocated...or if it is a child who is unconscious and not breathing it is necessary to give 5 rescue breaths in order to re-oxygenate them prior to pushing on the chest as they will have used up oxygen in their blood whilst having the breathing problem.

When you are pushing on the chest you are being the heart for them, as their's is not pumping adequately (you should push down a third of their depth) when you are breathing into them, you are being the lungs (make sure the airway is open so that you can inflate the lungs properly). You are keeping the heart and brain full of oxygenated blood, being a heart and lung machine and keeping them alive until the paramedics arrive with the necessary equipment to hopefully save them.
Please visit the following link with more information specifically addressing the Vinnie Jones Campaign:
www.firstaidforlife.org.uk/british-heart-foundation-says-no-more-kissing/