Thanks to Daisy First Aid for this very important guest blog on child safety and first aid assistance for a variety of key emergences.

A Choking Child – what to do:

If a child is choking, you should encourage them to cough in the first instance. If the blockage is only minor, this will hopefully clear the obstruction and after a good cough they should be able to breathe normally.

If the child can’t cough, cry, speak or has a look of panic and struggling to breathe, quickly take the following steps:

1. Shout for help of call 999 on loud speaker from your mobile
2. Lean the casualty well forward
3. Give up to five sharp blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand – the aim is to relieve the choking with each blow rather than to give all five.

If the obstruction is still not cleared:

1. Stand behind the child and place both arms around them
2. Make a fist with one hand and place it just above the belly button (below the ribs)
3. Grasp this fist with your other hand, then pull sharply inwards and upwards – the aim is to relieve the choking with each thrust rather than to give all five

If the obstruction is still not cleared repeat steps 2 and 3. If the casualty becomes unconscious – start CPR.

Treatment of severe bleeding

1. Sit or lay the child down
2. Identify the exact point of bleeding and look for any object such as glass in the wound
3. If there are no objects in the wound, apply pressure continuously for 10 minutes
4. Apply dressing that is sterile and large enough to cover the wound. It should be absorbent and ideally have a surface that won’t stick
5. Keep pressure on the wound using your hand. If bleeding continues, bandage it up and put another dressing on top, still applying direct pressure by hand
6. Seek medical help

Ingested/Swallowed Poisons

Things that children can swallow are often common household cleaning items, medication and button batteries. If swallowed, batteries can cause serious internal burns and can even be fatal.

1. Call 999 or take them to hospital immediately

2. Do not induce vomiting

3. Try to find out what’s been swallowed and how much

4. Take the packaging to hospital

5. Sit the child up and monitor their breathing

6. You can give small sips of water or milk if the poison is burning

Daisy First Aid offer fun 2 hour first aid classes designed for parents and carers and cover topics like CPR, Febrile Seizures, choking, meningitis and much more.

See www.daisyfirstaid for your nearest trainer.