First aid for parents

We champion the spirit of adventure in all children!

That's why, together with our first aid expert Anna Webb*, we created a 'First aid for parents' hub to help you to treat those inevitable bumps and scrapes or anything else that might come your way!

We cover a range of common mishaps, including cuts, grazes & burns, as well as more severe accidents, such as choking or treating an unconscious child.

*Anna Webb does not endorse any medicinal brand or product.

First aid for parents - contents:

Cuts & grazes treatment
Burns treatment
Burns - Frequently asked questions
Choking in children over 1 year old
Choking - Frequently asked questions
Discovery of an unconscious child that is breathing
Discovery of an unconscious child that is not breathing
Downloadable guide

Cuts & grazes treatment

Though treating your child's first cut or cut might be upsetting, unfortunately, as your child begins to explore the world around them, the odd cut or graze is to be expected so you will soon get used to treating them. If your little one comes to you with a bump or graze, follow the next 5 steps to treat it:

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Step 1: Clean the wound thoroughly

It is important to clean the wound to make sure that there isn’t anything in it that could cause the wound to become infected. You can clean a wound by rinsing it under running water, using a sterile wipe.

Step 2: Dry the wound properly

Pat the wound dry using a gauze swab and cover it with sterile gauze. If you don’t have these, use a clean, non-fluffy cloth, like a tea towel.

Step 3: Stem bleeding by raising the cut above the heart

For a deep cut, raise and support the injured part above the level of the heart. Avoid touching the wound.

Step 4: Remove the cloth or gauze covering the wound and apply a sterile dressing or a large plaster

You can also use an antiseptic cream to help soothe your child and ensure that the wound is properly clean and to reduce the risk of infection.

Step 5: Seek medical help for any of the following

A wound won’t stop bleeding
A foreign object is embedded in the wound – like a splinter of wood or glass
The wound is from a human or animal bite
You think the wound might be infected
You are unsure whether the casualty has been immunised against tetanus.

Burns treatment

Though burns and scalds are less common in very young children as they tend to not be in the kitchen, cooking in the way that adults do, accidents happen. If your child gets a burn, follow the next three steps to treat it:

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Step 1: Cool the burn under cool running water for at least 10 minutes

Cooling the burn will reduce pain, swelling and the risk of scarring. The faster and longer a burn is cooled with cold running water, the less the impact of the injury.

Step 2: After the burn has been cooled, cover it with cling film or a clean sandwich bag

This helps prevent infection by ˞keeping the area clean. Cling film or plastic won’t stick to the burn and will reduce pain by keeping air from the skin’s surface.

If you have to go to the hospital, it will also assist medical staff to look at the burn clearly without having to remove bandages or plasters which may stick to and have left debris within the burn.

Step 3: Call 999

If you can’t call 999, get someone else to do it. The burn may need urgent medical treatment. Always seek medical advice for a baby or child who has been burned.

Burns - FAQs

Why is cooling the burn important?

Can I use a shower or cold bath to cool a burn?

Should I cool the burn first for 10 minutes or go straight to hospital?

If clothes are stuck to the burn, should I try to remove them?

What should I do if the burn is still painful after I have cooled it for ten minutes and covered it with cling film?

How do I know when to go to hospital?

Choking in children over 1 years old

Young children will often put objects in their mouth, as it’s their natural way of exploring the world around them.

You should always keep small objects such as buttons, coins or batteries out of reach of children but sometimes, it doesn’t matter how careful you are, small enquiring hands will find something that they shouldn’t and swallow it. If you suspect that your child is choking, follow the next three steps in order:

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Step 1: Give up to 5 firm back blows, hit them firmly on their back between the shoulder blades

If back blows do not dislodge the object, move on to step 2. Back blows create a strong vibration and pressure in the airway, which is often enough to dislodge the blockage. Dislodging the blockage will allow them to breathe again

Step 2: Give up to 5 abdominal thrusts, hold the child around the waist and pull inwards and upwards above their belly button

Abdominal thrusts squeeze the air out of the lungs and may dislodge the blockage.

Step 3: Call 999 if the blockage does not dislodge

Continue with cycles of back blows and abdominal thrusts until the blockage dislodges, help arrives or the child becomes unresponsive. If you can’t call 999, get someone else to do it.

Choking - FAQs

How hard should the back blows be?

How will I know that the blockage has definitely cleared?

Is it a good idea to give a choking child a glass of water or something to eat?

What happens if the blockage goes down into the lung rather than coming out of the mouth?

Should I try to pull the object out with my fingers?

What should I do if a child becomes unconscious and stops breathing?

If a child is choking, should I hold them upside down by their feet?

Discovery of an unconscious child who IS breathing

If a child is not moving and does not respond when you call them or gently shake their shoulders, they are unresponsive.

This can be very scary but do your best to stay calm and call 999. Whilst you wait for an ambulance, follow the next important three steps:

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Step 1: Check their breathing by tilting their head back and looking and feeling for normal breathing

Tilting the child’s head back opens their airway by pulling the tongue forward.
If they are breathing normally, you will see their chest moving and you may hear their breath or feel it on your cheek.
If they are breathing normally, move on to step two.
Remember we don’t want to hear any gasping, gurgling or rasping sounds, this is not NORMAL BREATHING.

Step 2: Move them onto their side and tilt their head back

Putting them on their side with their head tilted back helps keep the airway open. It ensures their tongue falls forward any fluid drains out.
This will help the child to continue to breathe.
Do ensure you stay with them and continue to monitor their breathing as things can change quickly.

Step 3: Call 999 immediately

If you can’t call 999, get someone else to do it.
While waiting for the ambulance, talk to the child and reassure them.
Make sure their head remains tilted back.

Discovery of an unconscious child who IS NOT breathing

if a child is not moving and does not respond when you call them or gently shake their shoulders, they are unresponsive.

This can be very scary but do your best to stay calm and call 999. Whilst you wait for an ambulance, follow the next important three steps:

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Step 1: Check for breathing by tilting their head back and looking and feeling for breaths

Tilting the child’s head back opens the airway by pulling the tongue forward.
If they are not breathing, their chest and stomach will not be moving and you will not hear or feel their breaths.
If they are not breathing or you hear or see ABNORMAL breathing move on to step two.

Step 2: Tell someone to call 999

If you are on your own, call 999 after you’ve spent one minute giving them rescue breaths and chest compressions.

Step 3: Give 5 initial rescue breaths

Pinch the soft part of the nose closed, allowing the mouth to fall open.
With the head still tilted, take a breath and put your mouth around the child’s, to make a seal.
Blow into their mouth gently and steadily for up to one second, until the chest rises.
Remove your mouth and watch the chest fall.
That’s one rescue breath. Do this 5 times.
By blowing into their mouth you are topping up the oxygen levels in their blood. The oxygen you give them helps to keep their organs alive

Step 4: You will then need to give 30 chest compressions

Kneel by the child and put one hand in the centre of the child’s chest.
Push down a third of the depth of the chest.
Release the pressure allowing the chest to come back up.
Repeat this 30 times at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. The beat of the song ‘Nellie the Elephant’ can help you keep the right rate.
By doing these chest compressions you are acting as the heart by keeping blood pumping around their body, helping keep the vital organs alive, including the brain. If you are small or the child is large, you may need to use two hands.

Step 5: After 30 compressions, open the airway and give two breaths

Keep alternating 30 compressions with two breaths (30:2) until:

Emergency help arrives and takes over
The child starts showing signs of life and starts to breathe normally
A defibrillator is ready to be used

Download & keep this guide to stay prepared

We have put all of this information into a booklet for you to refer to next time a mishap happens. Print it off and keep it within your first aid kit for ease or have a look through our Savlon Guides to learn more!