As paediatric first aid trainers we teach lots of parents when they are expecting a
baby or when their little one has recently arrived or when they’re about to start
weaning. We recommend everyone who looks after a baby should do a first aid class
so they know how to act in an emergency.

But it shouldn’t stop there.

As your child grows so too does their thirst for adventure so it’s important to be
armed with the knowledge that could help them if they have an accident and injure
themselves at any age.

Today we’re talking about three of the top accidents that occur in primary school
aged children and how they should be treated.

Head injuries

Head injuries are a fairly common occurrence in children and most of them are
minor and not cause for concern. They can be caused by falls, collisions with other
children, or playing sports.

A minor head injury isn’t usually anything to worry about and can be dealt with at
home but with any head injury it’s vital for the child to be monitored for at least 24
hours after the injury to check for any symptoms that could indicate something more
serious is going on.

With a minor head injury a cold compress should be applied to the injured area for
10 minutes (and no more than 20 mintues) to help reduce swelling or bruising.
If the child seems well in themselves, they should be monitored closely and if any of
the following symptoms are present or develop they should be taken to be seen by a
medical professional as quickly as possible:

• Loss of consciousness
• Pale, clammy skin
• Memory loss
• Repeated episodes of vomiting
• Dilated pupils
• Sudden swelling or bruising around the eyes or behind the ears
• Seizure
• Clear fluid leaking from the nose or ears
• Problems with speech or co-ordination
• Drowsy and difficult to wake

Breaks and sprains

Did you know that the only way to tell the difference between a sprain and a break is
with an x-ray?

“ If a child is in pain and you’re not sure if it’s a broken limb you should always seek
medical advice.”

More obvious signs of a broken or fractured limb are:

• Swelling around the area
• Loss of mobility or strength
• Deformity
• A grating sound (crepitus)
• Limb looking twisted
• Unnatural range of movement
• Severe pain

If you suspect a child has broken a bone the first aid steps to take are to immobilise
the limb keeping it as still as possible and take them to A&E. Call 999 if you cannot
safely take them to an A&E department.

Bleeds

Children are prone to cuts and scrapes. Unfortunately, it comes with the territory of
looking after young children! For a minor cut or graze it’s really important to wash it
properly and cover it to minimise the risk of infection. You don’t need to use any
lotions or creams on a minor cut or graze.

Make sure you wear gloves before dealing with any wound.

For a more serious bleed you need to sit the child down and examine the wound to
make sure there’s nothing embedded in it (never remove an embedded object –
leave that to the medical professionals). Use a sterile bandage to apply pressure to
the wound for about 10 minutes or until it stops bleeding. Blood takes about 10
minutes to clot – do not remove the bandage to see what’s going on underneath
during that time as the clotting process will need to start all over again.

Once the bleeding has stopped apply a fresh bandage and take the child to see a
medical professional. If the bleed is very severe or won’t stop call 999 for an
ambulance and watch for signs of shock.

In our Daisy First Aid classes for parents we teach first aid skills for newborn babies
up to adults so if you have a child of any age it’s never too late to do a class. You’ll
learn all this!

• CPR – baby, child & adult
• Recovery positions – baby, child & adult
• Choking – baby, child & adult
• Meningitis
• Anaphylaxis
• Burns
• Head injuries
• Febrile seizures
• Broken bones
• Poison
• Bleeding & bandaging
• Shock

Our classes are fun and relaxed and we can even come to your home to teach you! 

To find your local Daisy trainer head to www.daisyfirstaid.com and pop in your
postcode.