Each year 40,000 under-fives are admitted to hospital following accidents, and lots of these accidents are preventable.
Our babies and children are precious and we want to protect them from harm.
The orange book is a resource for families that gives really helpful advice on a range of conditions. The advice is colour coded green, amber and red so that readers can easily see when conditions can be supported through self help, when you need to get advice from a GP or other professional or if something is urgent and needs 999.
Sometimes accidents happen and can’t be prevented, but by making our homes safe we can make these accidents less likely to occur.
The most common accidents that happen to babies and young children are burns and scalds, poisoning, choking and falls.
Particular care needs to be taken with:
- Household cleaning products
- Hot hair straighteners
- Nappy sacks
- Plastic bags
- Hot drinks
- Medicines
- Batteries
Katie Raine, Clinical Services Manager for Children and Families at NCIC, said: “Having
an ill child or dealing with a minor injury can be daunting, but parents are often best placed to help their child get better quickly. Understanding more about common childhood injuries or illnesses, and basic first aid skills, can help you decide what to do.”
There are free mobile phone apps for First Aid for Babies and Young Children from both the Red Cross and St John’s Ambulance Service. It’s worth downloading them and having a look at them in case you ever need to know what to do and you can use them wherever you are www.redcross.org.uk and www.sja.org.uk
Katie added: “It can be worrying when children become ill with a temperature or a minor injury, these can often be dealt with at home with basic first aid skills or with the help of a pharmacist. Pharmacists can offer expert advice, are often open longer than non urgent NHS services, and can be in more convenient places.
“In the summer, sunburn can be an issue so we ask parents to make sure their children are well protected with cream and hats if they are going out in the sun.
“However many illnesses and injuries– if not serious – can be sorted with over the counter medication, a bit of first aid knowledge or a trip to the local pharmacist for minor illnesses such as cuts and gashes; sprains and strains; sickness and diarrhoea, bites and stings; hay fever and short-term raised temperature.
“Health advice is available at any time by calling 111, NHS website or from your local pharmacist or GP. Your local pharmacist is trained in managing minor illnesses and using a pharmacy as the first point of call for advice helps to free up GP time for urgent appointments and reduces non-emergency A&E visits.
“If parents do think their child is more seriously injured or ill, then they should seek medical advice as soon as possible.”
In all cases, if parents remain worried after caring for a child at home, further advice can be sought from your GP surgery or by calling NHS 111. In an emergency, dial 999 for an ambulance.
Signs of possible serious illness:
- Your child is very drowsy or irritable and doesn’t improve after taking paracetamol or ibuprofen
- Your child has problems breathing – e.g. rapid breaths, short of breath or ’working hard’ to breathe (which sometimes looks as though the skin below the ribs gets sucked in when they inhale)
- Cold or discoloured hands or feet with a warm body
- Unusual skin colour (pale or blue around lips)
- Persistent high temperature (40c or above) which does not come down with treatment
- An infant who is not feeding or any child showing signs of dehydration.
More information can also be found in the Orange Book – which offers a comprehensive guide to child ailments and how to treat them.