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Only 5% of parents feel that they have the knowledge to act in common first aid situations, according to the British Red Cross. While 81 per cent said they wouldn't feel confident acting if a baby was choking.
Brushing up on your first aid knowledge doesn't take long and it will ensure that you know how best to act if a medical emergency arises. It could even save a life.
Below we run through seven common baby first aid situations to help give you the confidence to act quickly and effectively.
First aid course information plus what to have in your first aid kit
Choking is the third most common cause of UK infant death.
If your child is choking, remove the object if you can see it. But don't poke around if you can't as you could make it worse.
Encourage your child to carry on coughing if they are doing so loudly as this may help to expel the item. However, if the cough is silent, they're wheezing or can't breathe properly, get help immediately and try back blows.
Back blows for children under the age of one NHS guidance is to sit down and lay your baby face down over your thighs, supporting their head with your hand. You should then give five sharp back blows in the middle of your child's back between the shoulder blades, using the heel of your hand.
Back blows for over the age of one Lay your child face down on your lap (as you would a baby) or support their chest in a forward-leaning position, then give five back blows with the heel of your hand from behind.
If these don't relieve the choking and your child is still conscious, give chest thrusts (to those under the age of one) or abdominal thrusts (to those over the age of one) to create an artificial cough. See how to do these at the bottom of this page.
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The Children's Burns Trust says that, on average, 110 children per day are seen in UK emergency departments with burn injuries.
If your child gets burnt, immediately run cool water on the affected area for 20 minutes to reduce further skin damage. Unless it's melted or firmly stuck to the wound, remove clothing from the burn site. Wrap your child in extra layers so they don't get cold while you're cooling the burn.
After you've cooled it, cover the burned area with clingfilm or a sterile, non-fluffy cloth or dressing.
If you're worried, for any burn larger than the size of a 50p coin, if blisters have developed or if the skin colour has changed after you've cooled it down, call 999, 111 or your GP for advice.
Follow these steps:
The British Red Cross says that a baby or child having a serious allergic reaction may develop a rash, swelling or itchiness on their hands, feet or face. Their breathing might also slow down.
Call 999 if you see these symptoms. They may need urgent medical assistance because an allergic reaction can affect them very quickly, and it's potentially very serious because it may cause swelling of the airways and stop them breathing.
If they've been prescribed an EpiPen or similar, use it then reassure them while you wait for the ambulance. Tell the ambulance crew you've used the auto-injector.
For mild allergic reactions, antihistamines will help to relieve the symptoms, but make sure they are appropriate and suitable for your child to take.
What rash is this?Take a look at our guide
A blow to the head may result in a baby or infant having a headache or experiencing pain, plus they might have a bump on their head and look pale.
Get them to rest while you apply something cold such as a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel to the injury site to reduce the swelling and pain.
Call 999 if they become drowsy, vomit or their condition worsens, as these can be signs of a serious head injury.
Take your infant out of the water and check that they're breathing. If they're unresponsive or not breathing normally, call 999 for emergency help and start CPR straight away.
Continue with CPR until emergency help arrives and takes over. Stop if your child is showing signs of life and starts breathing normally.
The Child Accident Prevention Trust says it can take just 15 seconds for a toddler to lose consciousness if they get tangled in a blind cord and death can occur in just two or three minutes, so acting quickly is essential.
If you discover that your infant has been caught up in a cord, pick your child up to make the line slack and then carefully remove the cord, cutting it if necessary.
Check if your child is conscious and breathing. If they aren't, begin CPR immediately.
CPR is a combination of chest compressions and rescue breaths. This is what you do if an infant isn't breathing and needs CPR:
Give five rescue breaths You do this by tilting their head back, sealing your mouth over their mouth and nose, blowing five times into them. By doing this you're acting as their lungs and topping up their blood oxygen levels.
Give 30 chest compressions You do this by pushing firmly in the middle of their chest with just two fingers so that the chest goes inwards, then release. By doing this you're acting as their heart, keeping the blood pumping round the body.
Give two rescue breathsContinue with cycles of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until help arrives.
Chest thrusts (those under the age of one) Lay your baby face up along the length of your thighs. Find the breastbone and place two fingers in the middle. Give five sharp chest thrusts (pushes), compressing the chest by about one third.
Abdominal thrusts (those over the age of one) Stand or kneel behind your child, and place your arms under their arms and around their upper abdomen. Clench your fist and place it between their navel and ribs. Grasp this hand with your other hand, pulling sharply upwards and inwards, but ensuring that you don't apply pressure to the lower ribcage instead. Repeat five times.
If the object is still stuck and your child is still conscious Call 999, but continue the sequence of back blows and either chest or abdominal thrusts. Get medical help even if the object has come out, as part of it may be left behind or the action might have injured them in some way.
If the object is still stuck, but your child is unconscious, place your baby or child on a firm, flat surface and call 999, putting the phone on speakerphone so your hands are free. Open your child's mouth and remove the object if it's clearly visible. Don't leave your child at any stage. Start CPR.
Even if the object has come out, get medical help. Part of the object might have been left behind or your child might have been hurt by the procedure.
If you want to learn more, the British Red Cross provides simple, easy-to-learn skills to help a baby or child in a first aid emergency