Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson knows just how important baby and child first aid is
Learning first aid for babies and children is a great investment
No dad ever wants to imagine their child getting hurt and will always try to protect them – but accidents happen. Caring for babies and children is very different from helping an adult who has been hurt. Hollywood star, The Rock recently posted on Instagram to discuss the issue, taking part in training himself in preparation for the birth of his child.
“Having babies or young children can be an anxious time for any parent. Our research shows that 65% of parents wished they had learnt some first aid skills before having a baby,” says Tracey Taylor, First Aid Education Development Manager at the British Red Cross.
“No parent wants to be in the situation where their little one is injured or ill and they don’t know what to do, but helping is easy when you know how. These are simple skills that could make all the difference.”
The good news is that there’s a lot of resources available for you to learn the best practice of giving first aid to your kids. There’s apps, online articles and short and affordable courses ready to teach you and it’s certainly a worthwhile investment of anyone’s time and money.
One of the most convenient options for most with a smartphone is the Red Cross first aid app (available on the App Store and Google Play). Tailored specifically to caring for babies and children up to the age of puberty, the app even includes an emergency first aid section for dealing with immediate issues ahead of contacting the emergency services. You can learn about topics such as how to identify an allergic reaction to how to deal with a suspected broken bone. There’s also tests available so you can make sure you’ve retained that valuable knowledge.
The Red Cross website also contains a lot of the same information if you prefer to settle down and study on a bigger screen. It also has quizzes and tests on hand to refresh your memory.
If you’d prefer to get some hands on, practical training in a classroom environment, the Red Cross also runs half-day courses with prices starting from £45 per session. You’ll learn skills from how to help a choking child, dealing with an unresponsive child or a head injury. Having an experienced trainer on hand is a relief and helps you to really get to grips with coping with emergency situations. You also get a handbook to take home so you can keep learning after the course is complete.
