First Aid training for parents

[abaines]

Hi,

I'm a fourth year medical student from Peninsula Medical school, Devon, and I am doing a project on first aid training for parents. I'm currently conducting a questionnaire to get an idea of training offered to parents and what sort of situations parents may be worried about experiencing with an young child (such as swallowing toys or if your child was choking).

If anyone is interested:

please could you send an email to [email protected]
so I can send you a questionnaire

or alternatively reply to this thread with any experience you may have of antenatal or postnatal infant/child first aid training

Thanks!

Hello

IME this kind of training is pitifully thin on the ground. I paid for myself to go on a St John's course. The things I was really worried about were choking and CPR if required.

HTH

I've had none and MW/GP/HV/Hospital have none to offer. Fortunately DH is a first aider, so he has some clue, but he is at work during the day, and often away for work.

DS is 11 weeks old and I would really like to know what to do in an emergency, when to call an ambulance and what symptoms are OK not to call an ambulance. All I know is the thing with a rash, a glass and menigitis.

Must look into a St John course. You have inspired me!

Hi,

From what I've found, there doesn't seem to be a huge amount of impetus behind first aid/CPR training.

I am a CPR/First Aid instructor (foreign qualification however), including qualifications for infants and children, so having that training is very comforting in my own mind, and if I did not have it, I would probably try and find some training.

I think this is something that possibly should be addressed in the Health Service - my doctor's surgery currently runs a new mother's group, and they get various people along for talks etc (fireman, nurse etc). I think having a session on CPR/First Aid would be helpful, although a single 2 hour session really isn't enough to cover sufficient training. However, something to cover at least what to do if your child is choking would be helpful I think.

hi i live in devon my daughter has reflex anoxic seizures i know how to cope with them now but at first was v v v scared went to doctors and he suggested the sure start first aid course they run (for my own peace of mind i am a panic!!)maybe contact a sure start centre if drs advise people to use them? the ones where i live are lovely

Thank you all for your responses. If anyone would like to fill out a questionnaire as part on my project, please drop me an email at:
[email protected]

Many Thanks

there are St John's Ambulance courses, but unless you sign up early they get oversubscribed. I sat next to a woman on a plane who was doing 'First Aid Parties' in and around Bristol, which I thought was a brilliant idea, but I lost her number!
Basically you had to get 10 people together, each paid £15, host free, for a tea party and she did a afternoon's children's first aid course.
Will try and find her details.