On an average day in Australia 5,000 children seriously injure themselves in the home with around 500 dying each year as a result of their injury. We all know that accidents can be prevented so we need to be vigilant when it comes to water, electricity, chemicals, toys, and play equipment, just to name a few. So what have you done in your home to prevent accidents occurring and injury to your baby, toddler or child? We've all probably thought of the most common things such as childproof locks, barrier gates, proper storage of chemicals and poisons, power point covers and sharp items placed up high.
But what is your child doing right now? Where is your handbag? Is your little one asleep? Is the cot free of soft toys and side bumpers? Is your furniture located away from windows and ceiling fans? Have you installed safety switches for electricity and restricted the temperature of your hot water? And remember your mum's famous last words when you were little..."If you kids don't stop that somebody's going to get hurt...".
and the funny thing was she was usually right. Well, we can say it's funny now but at the time it was a different matter. Now that you have your own kids, would you know what to do if they hurt themselves?The challenge is that we want our kids to have their own space to play because we know the benefits - age appropriate activities are vital for brain and skill development, confidence building and happy, healthy growth. But as parents we have a duty of care to ensure that they always remain safe. We all know there is nothing more important than proper supervision. And even with all this on our side, some accidents will still happen. So what would you do in the case of an emergency? What would you do if your child started choking or stopped breathing? The question is, could you save your child's life?
Thankfully many new parents and carers of kiddies are realizing the importance of knowing what to do in the case of an emergency and are undertaking First Aid training tailored specifically for babies and toddlers. The best thing to do is to learn the skills and practice the latest techniques in First Aid before an accident or emergency happens.
If an accident occurs you should follow the DRABC First Aid Management plan -
Danger - check for danger to you, others and the child
Response - determine if the child is conscious or unconscious
Airway - look in the child's mouth. Roll the child on the side to clear the airway
Breathing - place hand over mouth and nose. Is the chest rising?
Circulation - what color is the skin, lips and nails?
If the child is not breathing, call triple 000 immediately and commence CPR.
If the child is breathing, roll into the recovery position and call triple 000 immediately.
Keeping Kids Safe at Home and Play