Three Emergency First Aid Tips Every Parent Needs to Know

Unless you’re in the medical field or a paramedic, medical emergencies with your kids will most likely make you feel stressed, freeze, or even panic! We highly recommend taking a first aid course to be educated for emergency situations once you become a parent but here are 3 emergency first aid tips that will help you feel calm and prepared in an emergency! 

1. "Mother's Kiss"

We all know as mamas we have magical powers in our lips to heal ouchies but this hack could actually solve a tricky problem!

I experienced this personally just recently and have tried out this method firsthand so I can vouch for it!

It was a busy Monday morning trying to get 3 kids out the door for the school/ preschool drop. I had just slipped my shoes on and grabbed my car keys to walk out the door when my three-year-old daughter began crying and told me she put something up her nose. Sure enough, I had a look and could see a white bead lodged deep into her left nostril. I remembered that I had heard about a trick for getting things out of noses but my mind was blank. I quickly googled and found this method called “Mother’s Kiss.” Basically you close the unaffected nostril and blow into your child’s mouth; the air pressure forces the object out. And guess what, it worked!

That little tip saved me a morning at the emergency room and let’s be honest, nobody’s got time for that! 

Here's a video showing us how it's done.

2. Choking Protocol

One of the most terrifying experiences you can have as a parent is your child choking. It just happens so quickly and can be life threatening. 

Marty, who is our Luvme Social Media Guru, had a scary moment when her son was a year old and choked on a rice wheel. She remembered something she had seen on an Instagram account called “Tiny Hearts Education” (it’s worth following this account!) She picked him up out of his highchair and administered 5 back blows, which thankfully dislodged the rice wheel.

Quick action is so important, so here is a reminder of what to do if your child is choking:

If your child does not have an effective cough, you should:

• DRSABCD (Danger, Response, Send, Airway, Breathing, CPR, Defibrillation).

• Call 000

• Place your child in a head down position

- infant (under 1 year old) across your lap and child (1 - 8 years old) sitting or standing up

• Give up to five back blows using the heel of one hand, in between the shoulder blades.

Short and sharp. Check the airway between each back blow to see if the obstruction has cleared. Do not insert finger into airway as it can lodge item deeper.

IF YOUR CHILD IS STILL CHOKING:

Give up to five chest thrusts using two fingers (one hand for a child), in the middle of the chest between the nipples. Short and sharp. Check the airway between each chest thrust to see if the obstruction has cleared.

Information from @tinyheartseducation

Always supervise your child when eating! Here are some of the foods that are most likely to cause choking:

- popcorn

- marshmallows

- grapes

- hard lollies

- sausages

3. Take a video of your child’s baseline breathing

This tip could save your child’s life! Breathing distress, due to asthma or respiratory illness, can escalate in a matter of seconds. Save the video on your phone for times when you have an unwell child and are questioning whether their breathing is abnormal. If you know what your child’s breathing looks like at a normal rate, you will know when their breathing is abnormal and can take them to the hospital immediately!

Signs of respiratory distress include:

- fast breathing

- sucking in between the ribs, under the chest bone, and at the base of the throat

- lethargy

- nasal flaring

- noisy breathing (wheeze, crackle)

Disclaimer
As aforementioned, we are not medical practitioners and in any emergency always call 000. We strongly advise to always do your own research regarding best medical practices in an emergency. This article is intended to encourage further research from the right sources and not intended as the only source of information on what to do in emergency situations concerning your child. You can find further information from the sources below;

Tiny Hearts Education